


Repaint the Walls With the Color of Your Hope

by kyuuichan



Series: Color of Your Hope - BH6 Fix It [1]
Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: References to past major character death, Time Travel Fix-It, You know who I'm talking about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-04 16:57:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 26,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3074855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyuuichan/pseuds/kyuuichan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hiro goes to see Callaghan in jail one last time, for closure.  And that’s when Callaghan destroys him all over again.</p><p>Because Callaghan’s first idea was never the microbots; that was just an opportunity he took.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Carry Me Close Like the Teardrops In Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This monster is entirely the fault of Sama (manchasama), who gave me this plunny in massive detail and it would not leave me alone. I shamelessly stole from her notes for the summary (it fit to perfectly).
> 
> Might change the title, but for now it's fine. Chapter titles come from Raign's song "Don't Let Me Go," which was largely an inspiration during chapter 2 and the whole reason it exists.
> 
> Totally unbeta'd. Will fix it later. Mostly wanted to get it up and out.

"We're having a get together tonight at Fred's house, do you want to come?"

Hiro shook his head a bit, focusing on Honey. He'd been lost in thought over what he was going to do for his mid-term experiment. It was still almost a month away, but he loved any excuse to come up with new technology.

"We're having a get together," she repeated. Her expression softened. "Today's the anniversary."

The fifteen year old froze, all thoughts of his mid-terms suddenly crumbling like sand, slipping through his fingers.

It wasn't that he had forgotten. Or even failed to notice (the partially healed, jagged wound snarling in his chest knew exactly what today was). It was just that, he had intended to spend the rest of the day come sun down hiding out in his (and only his; he would have to bring out Baymax to fill the void, just for tonight) room and hoping that the nightmares wouldn't be bad when he went to sleep.

The thought of spending it with the others (his team; Tadashi's _friends_ ) that might, to a degree, understand what he was going through, had never crossed his mind. 

The other four had stopped, each watching him with various levels of worry. Wasabi placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to show support without infringing on his pride. "We get if you want to spend it on your own, but... We hoped you'd join us."

Honey, ever empathetic towards others, placed a hand on his other shoulder. She smiled, somewhere between sad and sympathetic.

Hiro looked to each of them, finding himself - not for the first time - grateful for them and their ever steady friendship. When he smiled back at them, it was much like Honey's. "Just as long as I can bring Baymax."

\---

The year leading up to the anniversary had had it's ups and downs. 

There would be days were Hiro was functional and went to school. His grades were excellent, and if he could ever decide which direction he wanted to go in, there were any number of companies practically fighting with each other to take him.

Then there would be something and he would refuse to leave his room for days. The birthdays and holidays had been especially the worse.

By the end of the first year, the only mark of progress, was that he was that he had started bringing Baymax with him when he retreated. Baymax would monitor and sooth, in his own silly innocuous way, and also (not so secretly) let everyone know that Hiro was still alive and safe and they working through this down spell.

Time had seemed to pass in spurts of stop and go, and while those hard times were still a work in progress, they were mark-ably coming less and less. 

Looking back, Hiro hadn't had one all month.

\---

The get together was somewhere between a somber event and a tentative celebration of the life Tadashi Hamada had lived.

Fred's family was out of town again, so they had the house to themselves (sans the ever present Heathcliff). They stuck to Fred's room, however, having any and all food delivered there.

They were looking at photos, when Baymax commented, "It is healthy to hold onto memories of lost loved ones." He held up a finger, in that tell tale sign he was imparting a fact. "Looking at photos or videos are great ways to reminisce and bring back good memories."

The group smiled, but it was Honey who made a small sound of excitement. "I was just looking through my album, and I found some old videos. I'm sure one or two of them have Tadashi in them."

It was how they wound up in front of Fred's TV, a queue of five such videos to watch. The videos were, naturally, of the group before Hiro had even thought of going to San Fransokyo's Institute of Technology. He watched and listened, soaking in this side of his brother he'd never gotten the chance to see. They gave back stories for the videos as they went along, to explain why Honey had pulled out the video. The third video, they had to watch nearly the whole video before anyone remembered what was going on.

"Wasabi was excited about passing his first semester physics final." GoGo explained in her usual dry tone. Hiro thought he could hear a hint of something that sounded like a tease in her voice that left him feeling vaguely confused. "That's why we just spent the last ten minutes listening to his explanation about lasers and plasma."

Honey leaned over to elbow Hiro, a glint of conspiracy in her eyes. "This is also when he gets his nickname."

Fred, over hearing them, grinned. "I not only supplied the nickname, but I also supplied the wasabi as well."

Hiro eyed Wasabi out of the corner of his eye, curious as to how the young man would react to the origin of his (not really) endlessly frustrating nickname. His brows were twitching and he looked like he wanted to turn the TV off and purge the footage from all of existence. The twitching got worse as his distracted, on screen self reached for a bowl of half-eaten soba noodles coated in wasabi.

The fifteen year old didn't bother to smother his laugh as Wasabi finally reached the end of his tether and went for the remote. A battle ensued, as Fred jumped in to stop him.

Honey and Hiro cheered Fred on. Wasabi, despite the fact that Fred seemed be able to work himself out of whatever hold the former got the latter into, managed to come out the victor and hit the next button.

The video went to the next one in the queue, but not before they all caught a quick shot of the fateful moment: a single noodle valiantly managing to slip out of the chopsticks holding it prisoner and then landing rather triumphantly right onto the future nicknamed Wasabi's shirt.

Wasabi moaned, as if he couldn't catch a break, while the other four laughed.

Laughter that broke off rather quickly as a painfully familiar voice came out of the speakers. "You all moved in fast. How do you like the space?"

Hiro recognized that voice. He could be old and gray, and he would recognize that voice.

Callaghan. That was Callaghan. And he was talking with Tadashi, Honey, and GoGo as if he were the most caring individual in the world and wasn't going to get one of the very students he was talking to killed during his ruthless quest for revenge.

The fifteen year old could practically feel his team watching him; could hear Baymax's worried, "Hiro, your heart rate is increasing at an alarming rate," but he only had eyes for the screen.

It wasn't until the screen went dark that Hiro realized he'd been staring intently enough to have failed to blink.

"Hiro, I'm so sorry. If I'd know he'd be in one of the videos--"

Hiro shrank into himself a little, but managed to squash the urge to flee the room. "It's" --really not-- "alright." He took a deep, shuddering breath, feeling that terrible monster that seemed almost too terrible to simply call 'grief' clawing at his chest like it could physically tear itself out. He looked up at the screen, as if he could still see the man on it. "It's something I have to get over."

Large, white arms reached around to hug him from behind, and Hiro found himself almost engulfed in the large marshmallow that called himself 'Baymax.' "Desensitization via repeated exposure is not always the answer. People must work past their traumas at their own rate and in their own way." He received a pat to the head that somehow never seemed condescending. "However, if this is a path you wish to pursue, we will support you every step of the way."

Hiro snorted, a sad humor in it. He clung to the large arm still around him as if it were a life line. "Thanks, big guy. I knew I could count of you."

"I will always be here for you, Hiro."

Fred, always ready for hugs (even when the desire for one was in question), joined in and Hiro was glad Baymax was so squishy. "Hey, we're all here for you! Aren't we guys!"

"Of course we are, Hiro!"

"Anything you need, little man."

"Just don't expect me to hug you or anything," GoGo, her ever 'bright and cheerful' self, added from her sloach. Hiro's smile got a little bigger. He knew she would be the first to have his back, when he needed her.

He gave Fred's arm a pat, partially to show that he heard them . "Thanks, guys."

It was at that moment that his stomach chose to remind him that he hadn't had nearly enough to eat today and that it was still hungry. Rather loudly.

Although the atmosphere wasn't entirely broken, it was enough to distract them. They even watched the last video (after Honey had checked it over and approved it). It was, over all, probably the best way Hiro could have spent the first anniversary of his brother's death.

He knew Tadashi would be proud of him for going.

\---

Hiro was distracted. It stemmed in part from his lack of sleep, which in term, was being caused by the fact that every night since the anniversary, Hiro had been having nightmares.

Nightmares of the fire had been expected. He's had many of those since that night and expected he could continue to have them off and on for the rest of his life.

What he hadn't been expecting was to see Professor Callaghan.

As if conjured by the image of him, after so long of trying to bury him down deep, the man had played a central role in every single nightmare. And in every single one of them, he'd killed one of Hiro's friends, while Hiro had been able to do nothing to stop him. It left him feeling jumpy and paranoid, while expecting something terrible was actually going to happen.

While a few days of distracted behavior wouldn't hurt any of his work in class, it wasn't something he should be while out on patrol. The others had noticed, GoGo suggesting he take a break until he could get his head straight while Honey assured him that they were more than capable of picking up the slack.

If he were in any other state of mind, he might have agreed with them. As it was, the image of their dead bodies was still to fresh in his mind and he simply refused to let them go without him.

"Fine, but at the first sign you're going to get yourself hurt because of this, you're going home." He opened his mouth to protest, but GoGo ignored him and turned to Baymax. "Did you get that, Baymax?"

Baymax, the traitor, agreed. "I will watch for signs of severe sleep deprivation, and will return Hiro home should he display them." He scanned the teenager in question before Hiro could stop him. "Current status: showing signs of being tired. Suggestion: not staying out too late tonight."

Hiro rolled his eyes, as Honey smiled sympathetically. "We're just looking out for you, Hiro."

At the time, he'd felt like they were babying him. He almost wanted to resent them for treating him like he couldn't handle himself when they _knew_ he could. An hour later, when Baymax paid the price for his misplaced stubbornness, he wished he'd never gone out that night.

The city, as a whole, had very mixed feelings about having a team of superheroes and only some of it was because of the normal reasons. The bit-rate criminals aside, some people took to the airways and the internet to speak up their concerns about civilians taking the law into their own hands (something the team felt was a gross exaggeration of what they did). 

One woman, with a particularly loud personality, had found and posted a photo of Hiro that showed little more than the fact that he was significantly smaller than the others (he hadn't hit is growth spurt yet) and wanted to know where his parents were and how they could fail to notice he was out fighting with dangerous criminals.

Hiro almost wished Aunt Cass knew what they were doing. It would have been entertaining to sic her on the woman, even if Cass would tear him a new one herself if she ever found out about his after school crime fighting.

And it rarely was anything as big as 'crime fighting.' At least, not anymore. They mostly dealt with huge emergencies and the occasion small time stuff. Rarely did they get themselves mixed up in anything that might get them seriously injured (they were waiting until they were older to deal with the big-big stuff again). Which is why what happened that night should never have happened.

They were helping with a collapse in one side of the Pearl Gate Bridge. Some two bit criminal that fancied himself a super villain had managed to get out a shot with a laser-like gun that had the unfortunate ability to melt right through steel on contact before the police could stop him.

The shot had also managed to take out a portion of the bridge, sending a car careening over the edge. Hiro's and Baymax's timely arrival kept the family (a father and his two boys, and Hiro's heart ached with both sadness and pride at the way the older boy was trying to shield the younger boy) from a potentially lethal trip into the bay below. The weight was a test of the combined strength of both Baymax and the suit, but Hiro was pleased when it held long enough to get the car back on the bridge.

He was probably going to have to replace somethings, judging by the way the rockets had sounded, but hopefully nothing too serious.

For the most part, what followed was crowd control and trying to help move any vehicles away from the alarming sized hole in the road. It was dull enough work, that Hiro allowed his concentration to lull with the rote of the work.

It was because of this that he, even though he was facing the criminal and the police men, didn't see the criminal eyeing his gun where it lay on the hood of a nearby police car. Nor did he see the signs that he was about to go for it, until he heard the shouts of the officer he managed to slip along with his cuffs.

Hiro watched, as if in slow motion, as the struggle between the criminal and two officers caused the laser gun to wave around wildly. He could see the criminal's grip getting tighter and tighter as the struggle continued, and it was with a chill of dread that he noticed the muzzle come down to point straight at his head.

Despite all the dangers he'd been through over the last year, he froze. It was as if his mind simply shut down and he couldn't move.

It was no surprise that this was when the gun went off.

The laser cut a hot path through the air, coming straight at him. It would have hit him, too, and done some major damage, had Baymax not already been reacting. Unable to feel shock or fear, the robot had moved with only the goal of protecting his charge, even if that meant putting himself directly into the path of the laser.

The laser could go through steel. It went through Baymax, suit and all, like he was made of tin foil.

Their momentum sent them to the ground. The sound of panicked and angry shouting was almost enough to drown out the hiss of escaping air. The protective material that made up Baymax's 'skin' had been punctured, and was rapidly losing air. It was likely that the only reason the robot had anything like 'shape' was because of his suit.

The adrenaline was enough to cut through his lethargy, and Hiro was immediately reaching for something to seal up the holes. Baymax would be able to re-inflate, just as long as the punctures were patched.

It was only as he was sealing up the second one that he realized just how close the laser had come to Baymax's database chips. Just a few more centimeters over...

He knew Baymax was just a robot with a very sophisticated AI, but he was real to Hiro and what made him Hiro's Baymax were his 'memories.' There was a back up of the main chip, sure, but it was old, and it had been made when Hiro first rebuilt Baymax all those months ago. If the chips had been significantly damaged or destroyed... all that time, those experiences would be gone. It would be like losing Baymax a second time and he didn't think he had the strength to start all over.

Hiro felt all remaining adrenaline drain out of him, and anything like strength went right out with it. It was only because this _was not the place_ to fall apart that kept him from doing so.

Wasabi and GoGo were the first to rejoin them, followed shortly by Honey and Fred.

"Oh my God, are you alright?" Honey knelt beside them, running Hiro over once to be sure. She didn't really think he was fine, until Baymax assured he was indeed so.

Hiro dredged up enough energy to tell them he was fine, which seemed to give permission for Wasabi to lose it a little. "I knew this was a bad idea. That shot could have killed you - why didn't you move?"

GoGo answered for him. "Because he's too exhausted and distracted and shouldn't be out here." She looked around, noting how much attention they were getting. She also didn't seem to like the way the paramedics were eyeing them, as if they were just waiting for an excuse to come and check on them. "I suggest we head home." To Hiro, she added. "Go home, get some sleep. You're not to join us until you do so."

It was in Hiro's experience that anger could be a source of energy at times, unhealthy as it was to rely on it, and this was no different. Tired as he was, his anger was enough to give him the burst of energy to turn on her. "Are you grounding me from the team?"

She never did like to pull her punches, even with him. "As long as you're a liability, yes."

Honey, wanting to defuse the situation before it got worse, held up her hands, trying to be placating. "Hiro, it's just until you get some rest." She reached out to put a hand on his arm. "If you need to talk, Hiro, we're here for you."

Hiro, too angry and tired to see that they were just looking out for him, looked at them and just saw a bunch of people who were supposed to be his friends turning on him again. "Whatever. Come on, Baymax."

They watched as he got onto Baymax and took off. Honey looked like she'd wanted to stop him, but Fred's barely heard, "Let him go, Honey Lemon. Guy's got to work through his issues on his own, sometimes."

Hiro refused to look back, still feeling slighted. It distracted him from where his true anger lay: himself. He managed to hold onto it for most of the trip, but the constant presence of the chip was beginning to wear on his guilt. He didn't allow it to hit him until they were back home, back in the garage, and Hiro was half way through making a back up of the chip.

He didn't even realize he was shaking, until he found himself being lifted up.

"You are tired and distressed, Hiro." Baymax tilted his head to the side, optics closing and shutting in an imitation of a blink. "You have not been getting enough sleep for the last four nights. What is wrong?"

Hiro's new position left him with a perfect view of the patch work he'd made. He poked at it as an excuse not to make eye contact. "Your chips could have been damaged tonight."

Baymax turned his head enough to look at the computer, with it's nearly complete back up of his medical/main database chip. "You had a back up prior to this one. I would not have 'died' if my database had been damaged." He looked back at Hiro. "My opinion is that the real problem is that your nightmares are not allowing you to sleep properly. Many people have found it helpful to talk about reoccurring nightmares."

Hiro wanted to protest the careless dismissal of Baymax's life, but he knew that he was right, at least partially. He sighed, and wriggled around until Baymax put him down. He was a bit wobbly, but his legs held. He used the back up finishing and returning it as a way to buy him another few minutes to pull himself back together.

"I've been seeing Callaghan. In my dreams." Hiro sat heavily in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Ever since I saw him on the video... I don't know. I can't stop thinking about him."

Baymax was quiet, contemplating what he said, as well as searching his databases for any useful information. Finally, after several long minutes, he held up his finger. "Some people are not able to find closure after a loss, until they confronted the person who wronged them."

Over in his chair, Hiro slowly turned to stare at Baymax, not sure if he had heard him correctly. Confront Callaghan? About what? He'd helped put him behind bars (after trying to kill him - using _Baymax_ to his continued shame), what more did he have to say to the man?

Still...

Hiro could feel his exhaustion getting the better of him. Either way, he was in no good state of mind to think about this properly. He'd think about it in the morning (and possibly the rest of the day) and then he would go from there.

"I'll think about it, Baymax." He heaved himself out of the chair, before dragging himself in the direction of the entrance to the garage. "But first, sleep."

Baymax followed behind him, somehow radiating approval. "This is a sound plan, Hiro. I will keep watch, in case you have any further nightmares."

Hiro waved in his general direction, too tired to fight with him. "Just make sure you do it from your charging station. Don't want your battery to run down again."

Even if it was a bit funny that Baymax acted like he was drunk when he was running low on energy, and Hiro was so sorry he would never know what Tadashi was thinking when he programmed the personal health care companion like that.

"Of course, Hiro."

\---

Hiro put off making any kind of decision for almost the entire day. Most of his time was eaten up by the fact that he had to make new vinyl to replace and properly fix the damage to Baymax's outer 'shell'. He was relieved when it was determined that the entirety of Baymax's vinyl skin did not need to be replaced, and two simple patches would do the trick. He was confident he could also make it appear as if there had never been any damage at all.

By the end of the day, however, Hiro knew he needed to give the matter some thought, even if he was fairly certain he already knew what he had to do.

If Baymax were anything other than a robot, and capable of such things, he would not have found it very surprising when Hiro announced, sometime after dinner but before it was time for lights out, "I want to go see him."

Baymax could not smile. But the impression was that he would if he could. "Do you require company when you go? It is recommended to go with someone you trust when confronting someone who has brought you pain or trauma."

"I think I just want you to come with me."

The response was without hesitation, as Hiro knew it would be. "I am here to help you in whatever capacity you need."

Hiro smiled. "I know you are, Baymax."

\---

Professor Robert Callaghan was serving 20 years in prison, with no chance of parole. The charges that had stuck were two counts of property damage in the first degree and a class 2 felony of attempted murder of Alistair Krei.

Hiro and the others had followed the story in the news, as none of them could claim to be witnesses without giving away their identities. Not that they were needed, with the dozens of people who'd also been there and seen the fight (a few had even recorded some of it on their phones). The reports alleged that Krei's lawyers had tried to push for the maximum sentence, claiming that Callaghan was still a potential threat. The claims of any future threats were dismissed, however, after the professor had seen two psychologists, who both gave testimony that Callaghan no longer had any desire to attack Krei now that he had the one thing he'd wanted all along: his daughter back.

There were sparse news on how Abigail was taking all of this. She only appeared for court, a silent presence in the pews, and refused to give any interviews. Paparazzi eventually caught photos of her entering and exiting the prison her father was being held in, but those visits were few and far between. No one was certain if it was because of her health or because of a strained relationship with her father.

There had been little word of her for months after the final sentence was passed, and Hiro hadn't known what had become of her, until she'd shown up in his Aunt Cass' cafe an hour before closing.

She hadn't said a word, except to order a coffee. She'd simply watched the daily activity within the cafe. The theory had been she was waiting until closing time, which was eventually proven true.

Aunt Cass had set down with her after the last customer had left and they had talked. Hiro hadn't been home, only finding out Abigail had been there because he'd seen her leaving and had heard the story afterword. What they talked about, exactly, his aunt never told him, but there seemed to be an acceptance in her eyes that hadn't been there since it had come out that the fire wasn't an accident.

Aunt Cass, mentioned, albeit reluctantly, that Abigail had told her that should Hiro ever want to talk to Callaghan while he was in prison, the professor would see him.

Hiro originally never intended to do so. Funny how life turned out sometimes.

\---

Despite the trial and the sentence he faced, Callaghan somehow looked younger than the last time Hiro had seen him. Abigail's return to the world and to health had done wonders for him, and Hiro had never realized how _old_ the man appeared until his grief was lifted.

A part of Hiro resented him for it, even as he could never regret the part he'd played in her rescue. Abigail was innocent of her father's crimes and didn't deserve to die for them, no matter how befitting (that dark, angry part of him cried) the revenge would have been.

Another part, buried down so deep he only acknowledged it during his most low moments, was envious of the man. Robert Callaghan had what he wanted most of all and the damage he'd left behind obviously seemed a small price to pay to have the dead back.

If Callaghan was surprised to see them, it didn't show. He did seem pleased to see Baymax, although he asked nothing on the subject of how he was there. He took his seat across from Hiro, and then hands folded on the table. The officer announced they had one hour, before leaving them to their relative privacy.

For several long minutes, they simply stared at each other. The only noise was the general murmur of conversation of another guest and inmate across the room. They might have continued with their silence, had Callaghan not decided to take the initiative and break the silence.

"You came to see me." There was something in his tone that suggested that he hadn't expected it. "I thought you wouldn't for quite a while."

Hiro's heart was pounding, but a year in the suit had taught him how to face his fears without letting it show. Baymax, his shield and guardian, being a solid presence at his back helped as well. "I didn't think I'd come at all."

Callaghan nodded at the honesty, and took the hint of anger as deserved. "What changed? I doubt it was because my daughter passed on my invitation."

"No." The teenager had no intention of giving this man any more of himself than what had already been taken. He wasn't going to mention the nightmares. "I needed to see something for myself."

The former professor considered him. Perhaps he figured out, to some degree, what Hiro wasn't saying. Adults were perceptive when they wanted to be and Callaghan knew what grief looked like from the inside. The fact that Hiro was even there could be telling.

Hiro found he didn't care what the man did or did not think he knew.

He wasn't sure if this was actually going to help him or not, seeing Callaghan here where he couldn't hurt Hiro or his friends for a long, long time. Maybe it was too soon, after all, and he shouldn't have come at all. Nonetheless, now that Hiro was here, he found himself curious what Callaghan could possibly have to say to him.

He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "What did you want to see me for?" He wasn't sure if he was hoping for an apology, but he knew that if he heard even the hint of one, he was going to probably bolt, pride or no pride.

Callaghan leaned back, hands still resting on the table. Hiro was reminded of the one time he'd been called into the principal's office. "You saved my daughter, when you had no reason to. I wanted to repay you."

The mere thought that this _monster_ could possibly think that Hiro wanted _anything_ from him was enough to send the teenager's hackles up. He had half a mind to walk away, right then and there, or to tell him off, but before Hiro could do much more than tense, Callaghan held up a hand to stop him.

"All I ask is that you hear me out. If you don't want the gift, then I will never bother you or your family ever again."

Hiro didn't trust him, and it was only the minute noise of vinyl rubbing together as Baymax shifted a little closer in response to his distress and anger that kept him from doing something rash. "Fine, what is it?"

"Your microbots, brilliant as they are, were not my first plan." Callaghan placed his hand back on top of the other, body language completely neutral. "I only took advantage of them and their remarkable abilities out of desperation when my first plan failed."

His fingers were twisted into the fabric of his shirt hard enough to hurt, but Hiro barely noticed. He was feeling snide and it was audible in his tone. "What was your first plan? Time travel or something?"

"Actually, that's exactly what it was. And I was close."

Hiro scoffed. It was such a cliche response, he couldn't help himself. Callaghan, however, didn't appear offended.

"I know how it sounds, I've seen the movies and read the books, too." His fingers twitched, perhaps in remembered frustration. "I thought it was foolish to even attempt it - a science fiction that will forever remain just that. But as the days went on without Abigail..."

Hiro, despite his anger and resentment, felt the slightest ping of empathy.

Behind him, Baymax shifted again. "It is common with the loss of loved ones to ask themselves 'what if' and want to go back in time and change things. It is not, however, healthy to dwell on the past forever and not move on."

Callaghan's laugh was nostalgic. "That's very true, Baymax. I forget how well Tadashi programmed you. It's also easier in theory than in practice for a parent to accept the loss of a child and attempt to move on." All humor seemed to drain out of him, and for the first time since sitting down did any of the weight of the years Abigail was gone show. "I might not have been in the right frame of mind when I started my research, but I took it as far as I could. Technology is constantly changing, and what I didn't have then might very well exist today. All someone has to do is crack the code."

He leaned forward, not a hint of madness or insanity in his eyes, just plain truth. "I believe that you are a very intelligent young man, Hiro Hamada. If anyone can figure it out, it's you."

Hiro stared at him, not quite sure he understood. "Your gift is some whack job idea? Sounds kind of lacking, all things considered, don't you think?"

Callaghan snorted in amusement. "There's that fire. No, my gift is not my story. It's the address and pass code to all of my research. Whether you chose to take it or forget it is entirely up to you." He shrugged. "I can't help you move on, Hiro. I don't know how. But perhaps I can give you a second chance."

That anger was still there, roiling beneath the surface. "Do you think that will somehow absolve you of anything?"

"No, because you will always remember what I did, even if I don't." The professor shook his head. "Tadashi was a good boy. Smart, with a bright future. I made a promise I would help him reach it, and this is the only way I can keep it."

Hiro almost wanted to refuse, just to spite the man. He didn't deserve anything, least of all an impossible chance to keep a broken promise. However, whether he'd ever admit it or not, he still believed in Robert Callaghan as a scientist and engineer. The man had accomplished many things in his life (he'd helped build a portal into _another dimension_ ), and if anyone could get close to time travel as an actual possibility it was him.

Hiro owed it to Tadashi, for all the times his brother had ever been there for him, to at least _look_.

"What's the address and pass code?"

Callaghan, to his credit, had the grace not to appear pleased.

\---

The week before he had discovered Baymax was still operational, Hiro had had the same dream every night: that Tadashi had simply walked through the door of their room, as if nothing had ever happened, and everything since the fire had all been just a terrible misunderstanding.

In the dream, Hiro had been unconcerned with how Tadashi had survived or how he'd come out of it without a scratch. He'd only been happy to have his brother back, while begging him never to leave again. Tadashi always promised he'd never leave Hiro again.

Aunt Cass had assumed he wasn't sleeping because he was still having nightmares. At the time, he would have taken the nightmare over going through the heart break of waking up and remembering Tadashi was still dead in a heart beat.

He'd never told anyone about the dreams, and thankfully, they'd all but disappeared in the wake of finding Baymax and everything else that had followed because of it. At most, he'd probably only had the dream a grand total of five times since.

While the dream he had a few days after the trip to see Callaghan, was not entirely the same dream, it was close enough in variation to up the tally to 'six.'

It was also what finally allowed him to come to a decision.

Hiro, to his own credit, did not immediately go to the address. He looked it up to see what it was (a bank, turned out part of it was a safety deposit box number) and how to get there, but otherwise made no move to go near the building and it's Pandora's Box. He felt that any decision he made in the wake of his conversation with Professor Callaghan would be rash, and if he had any prayer of actually thinking this through logically, he couldn't go rushing in.

If Tadashi could see him, now, he knew he would be proud.

So, he'd written the address and the 'pass code,' what ever it would turn out to be, down and left it to stew in the back of his mind until he could reach a decision. For a week, it sat there collecting dust.

And then the dream happened, with Hiro waking to a world where Tadashi was still dead and he realized there had never been any other decision but to go.

The woman that received him at the bank wasn't surprised to see him. It turned out that Callaghan had turned the account over to Hiro shortly after the verdit had come back guilty off all charges and all fees for it had been paid for the next ten years in advance. A small testimony to just how long Callaghan thought it might take for Hiro to show up. She left him with a large metal box, like something out of a movie, and told him if he needed anything to let her know. Then she left the room, leaving it just him and the box.

When he opened it, inside was a container full of papers and books and multiple bits and pieces of seemingly random machinery. It only took a look over the papers to realize he was going to need much more time than what he had before the bank closed.

"Ma'am?"

The woman appeared as if she had been outside the door, waiting for him to call. "Yes, sir?"

Hiro didn't look up from the papers. "I think I'm going to make a withdraw."

"Of course, sir." She gestured back the way they'd come from. "There are just a few papers I need you to sign first, before you can make a withdraw. If you'll follow me, please...?"

\---

Callaghan's gift turned out be exactly what Hiro would call a modern day Pandora's Box, with it's evils just waiting to be unleashed on to the world, and just like the Greek woman of legend, he couldn't stop his curiosity from leading him to opening it.

Many years from now, he was going to be glad he did. Over the next few months, however, as his obsession with it deepened, he wished he'd never stepped foot in that bank, because Robert Callaghan was right about him like he'd been right about a lot of things. Hiro was smart.

Hiro managed to figure out how to make it work.

At first, he'd been thrilled. He'd actually done it: he'd figured out _time travel_ (with a little help, of course). His elation had lead him to actually building the blue print to the machine.

The thrill had worn off quickly enough, the more he thought about the sheer consequences of it all. Possible paradoxes aside, going back in time would allow him to save Tadashi, but he would lose his friends in the process. He would lose Baymax. None of them would remember anything, and while they technically wouldn't _die_ or anything drastic like that, the people that were pretty much the only friends he had wouldn't be his friends anymore because they wouldn't have lived through the events that made it possible for that friendship to happen.

He would go back in time and he would have all these memories of their time together, but to them he would just be Tadashi's little brother and an other wise complete stranger.

The realization left him breathless with the possible loss and listless. He eventually came to himself sitting in front of Baymax's charging station, not sure if he'd intended to activate the robot or simply sit there with his thoughts and the devastating side effects to a decision there was no question he was going to make.

He couldn't _not_ go back in time, especially since the means were _right there_ , but how could he possibly give up the friendship that had been his life line for the last sixteen months?

He agonized over it, body bowing to press his forehead against the warm metal of the charging station, until he thought he'd go insane from the struggle to decide what was best for all of them. 

In the end, he realized that no one could decide what was best for them, but them, and only they could decide if they wanted to go back with him (and remember) or to stay (and forget the most effective way possible: with oblivion).

He only wondered how he would survive if they decided to stay.

\---

Hiro remembered the first time he'd called one of them for help without it crossing his mind that he couldn't call Tadashi instead. 

He couldn't remember the problem, something for class most likely, but he could clearly recall the exact feeling he'd had when he realized that for all that he had lost, he'd gained something as well.

It was a feeling he clung to as GoGo, Wasabi, Fred, and Honey entered his lab for what he hoped wouldn't be the last time as his friend.

"So, what is this big surprise that you couldn't tell us over the phone?" GoGo eyed the paper work on his desk, not knowing that it was the answer to her question.

"I think surprises are exciting." Honey peered around, a eager smile on her face. "The last time Hiro called us in for a surprise we all got upgrades."

Fred bounced on his heels beside her, just as eager. "Fredzilla's landings were so much easier after the last upgrade." His eyes lit up with the kind of hope that had Wasabi eyeing the exit. "Is this one for the flamethrower? Please tell me its for the flamethrower. I haven't gotten one of those in months!"

"That's because you blew up one of Honey's stocks of Chem-balls." Wasabi made a double handed gesture to further his point. "I'm still finding some of it in my area, and it's been _four months_."

Fred was unconcerned and determined not to let his friend's worry wart attitude bring him down. "I will also accept that invisible sandwich I never got."

GoGo rolled her eyes, as Honey laughed and Wasabi looked ready to moan in despair. "So," GoGo repeated, "What is the surprise before someone loses it."

Hiro took a deep breath, suddenly feeling as nervous as he did the day he stood in front of an entire exhibit hall full of remarkably talented people with nothing but a tiny robot in his pocket. "I've been working on a project lately, and I need your help on it." He eyed Fred. "Yes, even your's."

Fred nodded as if he were the real genius in the room, and there was never any doubt. Wasabi was getting that twitchy look again, something Honey must have noticed, because she decided to jump in about then. "Of course, Hiro. What can we do?"

The fifteen year old stood up, deciding the best way to go about this would be like his presentation: to simply show them his work.

"I wasn't certain it was going to work, it's kind of science fiction-y, even for us, but I finally managed to figure it out." Hiro pulled up his schematics on his computer so that they could see them, too. "All we have to do is build the machine, and well-" He made certain to have them all his sight when he said, "Time travel! What do you think?"

Dead silence. For a long moment, none of them said a word.

And then Honey, Fred, and Wasabi were all talking at once.

"Oh, Hiro, you should have told us if you were having a bad day--"

"Time travel is a wicked idea, my man, why didn't you tell us you were working on it--"

"Do you have any idea how much _damage_ you could cause if you tried to time travel--"

GoGo, however, merely walked over to his desk. She picked up one of the papers, and Hiro knew she knew. "This is Professor Callaghan's handwriting." She slapped it down on the table, the sound effectively shutting up the others. "Where did you get these?"

Hiro didn't even bother trying to lie. "I went to see him. In prison."

Honey gasped in horror, and Fred tsked. "Secret randevu with the enemy without back up. Never smart."

The youngest member of the group ran a hand through his hair, waving the other around as he tried to think of how to explain the last four months. "I was having nightmares - that's why I wasn't sleeping--"

"Oh, Hiro, you should have told us." Honey looked like she wanted to hug him. If she got that far, it would only lead to Fred joining in, and then they would never get anywhere.

Thankfully, GoGo interfered. "And?"

"Baymax suggested that talking to Callaghan might help me find closure and move on--"

"Which obviously back fired."

Hiro made a frustrated noise, but continued on anyway. He was starting to pace as well. "I only went to see him, to remind myself he was in there and not out here, and then he started talking about some gift and time travel and he gave me an address to find his research--"

"Oh, you most definitely should have told someone about that." Wasabi's expression was beyond incredulous.

"--Only I found it, and I figured it out, and it should work--!"

"Oh," this time it was Fred that interrupted him. "Did you go back in time and see some dinosaurs? Or maybe back to when there were dragons. Please tell me dragons are real." Honey pressed a finger to her lips in a universal 'shh' to stop him before he got too excited.

"--And I just..." Hiro turned to them, these people who knew him better than anyone alive, eyes pleading that they would understand. "How can I not at least _try_ to save him?"

Honey smiled sympathetically, crossing the room to place a hand on his shoulder as she always did when she could see he was struggling. "Hiro, you have to understand, we're going to be worried about you." She bit her lip, looking over to GoGo and the papers for support. "But if you're right, and this really will work..."

GoGo merely popped a bubblegum bubble at her, apparently leaving the floor open to the much more capable people in the room to handle this.

Hiro reached up to squeeze the hand on his shoulder. "It will. I know it will."

Honey stared at the papers, and Hiro knew she was working out what he'd already thought, because if anyone could follow his thought process besides Tadashi, it was her. 

"How many people can go with you?"

The only reason Hiro's knees didn't give from the relief was because he'd locked them before hand.

Her question seemed to be the trigger for cluing Wasabi and Fred into what was going on, because Fred instantly jumped on the idea ("It'll be like a secret mission through time to over come the impossible and save our lost teammate!"), while Wasabi put a hand to his forehead like he had an oncoming headache.

"How do we know this isn't going to create a paradox? Or that we won't wind up in another dimension?" He seemed to be working up to a rant. "I don't want to spend an eternity in another dimension!"

Hiro, feeling a little drunk on his relief, smiled indulgently. "We--" and god, did that feel _good_ to say, "--Won't get lost in another dimension. We'll wake up in our younger bodies, with all of our memories, as if the last sixteen months never happened."

Wasabi, however, wasn't quite ready to let it go. "How does that work exactly? Shouldn't we be sent back in time as we are now? How would we wind up in our younger bodies?" He went straight for the papers on the desk and the blueprints. "Let me see those--."

Wasabi's willingness to look at the research and his final results was enough to pull Honey over. GoGo, already over there, was already perfectly positioned to view the discussion. Fred, never one to be left out of group meetings, was quick to also join them.

Hiro watched them go, already noticing and critiquing things he'd been unsure how to get around, and wondered why he'd even thought to hide this from them to begin with.

Honey, as if just remembering he wasn't with them, all but raced over to drag him back over with her to the group. "Come on, Hiro, you have to hear about how Wasabi mentioned accounting for any power surges! It's brilliant!"

And so, this was how they spent the rest of the year and into part of the next one. When they finished, just in time for the next annual anniversary, it seemed as if it were meant to be.

"Alright, everyone remember what to do?" Hiro was nervous, trying and failing not to let it show.

GoGo's gum made a particularly loud _pop!_ , as if to illustrate her irritation with the question. "You've only told us twelve times in as many minutes."

Honey smiled. "What she means is, yes."

Fred nodded excitedly. "Don't worry, our lips are sealed. Fredzilla can always keep a secret if his life depends on it!"

Hiro shook his head. "Our lives don't depend on it, but that's good to know." He turned to Wasabi. "You got all the code?"

Wasabi gave him a thumbs up. "All of Baymax's code, right up here." He tapped a finger to his forehead. "Don't worry, little man, I've got Baymax, just make sure you've got Tadashi."

The other's, sans GoGo, nodded in agreement.

"If we're all ready, I say we hurry up." GoGo looked at the dial meter monitoring the energy output on the portal. It was nearing an ominously red marked area helpfully labeled 'danger zone'. "Any further, and we're going to lose our chance for the month."

Hiro nodded and then turned to the portal. Slowly, he reached out to grab Honey's and Fred's hands. Honey smiled and reached for Wasabi's, while GoGo refused to hold hands, but seemed willing to tolerate Fred capturing her wrist.

It was a big moment, and even she wasn't heartless.

"Alright, everyone. Let's go."

As one, they all jumped in.

-tbc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: The Pearl Gate Bridge - ie the unnamed bridge in the movie - gets it's name from mashing up Japan's Pearl Bridge and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Not the most clever mashup every, but I liked it so I stuck with it.


	2. Carry the Memories With You and I'll Never Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro and the others travel back in time and it should have been easy sailing from there. Pity life didn't get the memo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was not supposed to take as long as it did, but life likes to do as it pleases.
> 
> There might be an epilogue, I make no promises? But there will be a separate "cutting room floor" scenes that didn't make the story. They'll be sort of little 'interludes' if you will, with a couple moments told from Tadashi's POV. Look for them soon!

It was such a familiar scene, Hiro thought he must be dreaming. For one long moment, his mind simply couldn't distinguish the sight before him from the one he'd seen in his nightmares hundreds of times over the last two years.

In the next moment, reality crashed down on him with such terrible force, his stumble had nothing to do with nearly tripping over his own two feet. Suddenly, his body somehow felt tighter and his arms and legs were shorter than he remembered. Everything felt _wrong_ , and a tiny part of his mind wanted to violently reject what his body was trying to tell him.

It didn't help that the air was hot, and growing hotter, as the SFIT's Exhibition Hall went up in flames.

Hiro's head was pounding, but he forced himself to focus anyway, eyes seeking out the one person all of his hard work had ever been for.

Like he had the first time (and Hiro wondered when he'd forgotten this; when he'd forgotten any part of this night), Tadashi Hamada caught the woman as she stumbled. "What happened?"

The woman coughed, a good sign she needed to get checked over for smoke inhalation. "I don't know." She pointed behind her. "But Professor Callaghan is still in there!"

The words were electrifying and Hiro threw himself forward almost before the woman could move out of the way and take off running away from the building. "No, you can't go in there."

Hiro still wasn't sure that it had really worked, that he'd really time traveled, or if they'd messed up and this was some illusion conjured by his unconscious mind. All he knew was that he wouldn't survive watching his brother run into that building and die again.

He latched onto Tadashi's wrist with both hands, and held tight. He knew he must have been hurting Tadashi with his grip, but he didn't care. Tadashi would have to drag him in with him if he wanted to go into that building, because he was _not_ letting go.

Tadashi's brow furrowed, torn between worry over Hiro's odd behavior and the need to do what was right. He placed a firm, but gentle hand over the pair of hands around his captive wrist. "Someone has to help."

The sixteen-turned-fourteen year old wanted to tell him that someone would, that he and his team would, but there was no time. His vision was starting to gray around the edges as the pounding in his head intensified and he wondered if he was going to pass out.

Hiro grit his teeth and dug his heels in. He would not give, not this time. "No, the building is going to blow."

There was so much conviction and certainty in Hiro's voice, that Tadashi failed to argue that he couldn't possibly know for sure. He had to know it was a possibility, however, for the older Hamada glanced behind him and retook stock of his choices.

Hiro wasn't surprised when his older brother turned back to him and it was obvious that his decision was unchanged. Tadashi Hamada would not have been himself if he wasn't willing to take even the smallest chance that he could save everyone possible. It was one of the reason's why so many people - even the seemingly callous Callaghan - were willing to break the laws of reality to save him.

It also didn't particularly matter, as Hiro's diversion had served it's purpose. Tadashi had hesitated just long enough for the exact thing his younger brother had predicted to come to pass: the Exhibition Hall exploded.

The explosion lifted him clear off his feet and Hiro didn't realize that, like the woman he'd forgotten, he'd never gotten this far into his dreams. The sensation of falling had always been enough to wake him. The blast and the noise was enough to stun him, but not quite enough he didn't feel the arms come around him, body colliding with his and twisting around until what he landed on was not the hard, unforgiving cement, but his brother's body.

Hiro felt as if something important had been jarred loose in his head, as the blackness threatened to swallow him whole right then and there. He barely managed to hold on long enough to register that Tadashi was already moving under him, voice alarmed with Hiro's lack of response.

Despite the fact that he should be rather alarmed himself, as he hadn't actually lost consciousness the first time around, all he could feel was an almost all-engulfing feeling that for better or worse, Tadashi was alive, he'd actually changed history, and if this was all a dream, he never wanted to wake up again.

\---

Hiro sat on his hospital bed, waiting to be discharged from the hospital. His tests had come back negative and there was no damage from the limited smoke he'd inhaled, but the doctor's were still worried about his losing consciousness. They'd questioned him repeatedly, asking if he'd been sick or suffered from any dizzy spells in the days prior to the incident. As Hiro had no intention of telling them the truth - that he'd more than likely had an adverse effect to _time travel_ , who would have thought? - and winding up in some psych hospital, he'd mere shook his head and plastered on his most innocent expression.

While he was fairly certain he'd fooled the doctors and Aunt Cass, he had entertained no such fantasies that Tadashi was even remotely fooled. His older brother had watched him like a hawk, just waiting for some sign that something was wrong.

Hiro had let him, not really caring as it gave him the perfect opportunity to give into the desperate need to hold onto Tadashi's hand like it was the only real thing left in his world. 

His brother had misinterpreted it, of course, because how could he possibly _know_? And if Hiro gripped it particularly tightly, well, it had been a frightening event, had it not?

Tadashi had stayed with him, up until it was time to be discharged. He'd reluctantly left to get the necessary papers, swearing that if Hiro left the room before he got back, Tadashi might just have to hunt him down and talk the nurses into leaving him in there for another night.

Hiro had smiled. He would have found anything his brother said funny at the moment (and he might have been still in shock and not really convinced any of this was real and everything was funny as long as this kept being reality).

The sound of multiple pairs of feet on the waxed floor came from outside his door and Hiro looked up in time to see Fred, Honey, and Wasabi pile into his room with GoGo trailing behind at her own pace.

"Hiro! What happened?! We heard you passed out!" Honey reached out, and Hiro had forgotten how much taller she was before the growth spurt.

"We had some minor headaches, but none of us lost consciousness." Wasabi picked up the doctor's clip board, eyes narrowing as he inspected the information. "I wonder why you did?"

Hiro had worried when they hadn't tried to contact him. Worried that this wasn't real and their lack of presence was proof of that. Worried that they hadn't made it or didn't remember. Worried they might be laying somewhere unconscious and no one knew to look for them. All of his doubts were washed away in the wave of his sheer joy that it was _really them_.

He pressed a hand to Honey's, letting the warmth of her skin seep into his. She felt _real_. "You made it."

Honey and Wasabi looked at each other, before the former smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry we didn't contact you sooner, Hiro. We wanted to make sure there weren't any adverse affects from the trip."

"We had Baymax check us out." Fred shuddered. "It was like being in a twilight zone where everyone looks like people you know, but _aren't_ people you know."

GoGo looked unimpressed with the description. "Who needs a fictional 'twilight zone,' when we have reality?"

Wasabi pointed at her over his shoulder with his elbow. "She does have a point. It was still weird, though." He put the clip board back. "Gonna be glad to have Baymax back to himself in a day or two."

Under normal circumstances, Wasabi would never try something so complex as using his near photographic memory for extremely long computer code, but he'd felt that bringing Baymax with them wasn't a question. He'd given a time table of 24-48 hours to get it all back on computer, at which point it would be up to Hiro to install Baymax's new 'update.'

It had been a little strange, to see the personal healthcare companion reduced down to mere code, as if that were all he was to them. It was so easy to forget, and it seemed almost unnatural to think of him that way.

Hiro frowned at them, concerned. "Were you able to pin point the source of the headaches?"

Wasabi shook his head. "Baymax said there had been some swelling in the temporal lobe, but nothing severe or life threatening." He shrugged. "Medicine was always more Tadashi's field then any of ours."

The youngest member of the team nodded, as that didn't surprise him.

And further conversation had to be put on hold, however, as the very Hamada they'd pulled this impossible stunt for walked into the room. He paused as he took them all in, before a very pleased look came over him. "Hey, guys. I didn't expect you all to come down."

Fred walked over and gave Hiro an amicable slap on the back. "We had to check up on our newest team member." Back to Tadashi, he winked at them, which garnered a rolling of the eyes from GoGo and Wasabi. "After all, science nerds have to stick together, right?"

Honey laughed. "That's right." She patted Hiro's shoulder, playing along. "You're one of us now, Hiro, and we look out for our own."

Hiro laughed at their antics. The future may have been in question again, but for just this moment, with his friends and Tadashi there, it was almost perfect.

He only wished Baymax was there, as well, and contented himself with the promise of _soon_.

\---

The first night after the mind numbing shock of Tadashi's death had worn off, Hiro had found it impossible to sleep. He'd been exhausted, tossing and turning, but couldn't seem to fall asleep for nothing.

It wasn't out of fear for nightmares that had kept him up, but rather the fact that his room didn't _feel_ right.

There had never been a single night, for all of Hiro's life, that he hadn't had a room he shared with someone else. First, when he was too young to leave on his own, he had slept with his parents. Later, when he was old enough to sleep through the nights, he'd slept in his brother's room. Even after their parents' death and Aunt Cass had opened her home to them, he had shared a room.

It wasn't like he had never slept in the room without Tadashi before. His brother had occasionally slept over at a friend's house when they were younger and sometimes over at Wasabi's when some project was due once he started college. Hiro did know how to fall asleep without his brother, and had done it many times in the past.

It was that this was the first time that he had tried sleep, without the haze of grief and shock, in a room that was _his alone_. And the black hole that was his brother's side of the room almost seemed alive and just waiting to swallow him whole into another spiral of grief and depression.

Over the two years that followed, he never got _used_ to it, but rather adapted, because he was a survivor (whether he wanted to be one or not some nights) and that's what survivors do.

Now, for the first time since Tadashi's death, Hiro found himself in a room that wasn't his alone and he couldn't fall asleep for an entirely different reason.

He'd realized he was unlikely to get any sleep when he realized he'd been staring at Tadashi's section of the room for well over two hours (if his digital clock could be believed).

The movable 'wall' that made up the divider for their room wasn't closed, and Hiro was thankful for that in a way he couldn't explain with anything resembling words and dignity. Tadashi seemed to understand anyway, keeping it open on some instinct that Hiro needed it. After he had gone to bed, and the younger of the two was sure the older was asleep, Hiro had crawled to the end of his bed so that he could see the lump that Tadashi had turned himself into.

It still hadn't felt like enough, however, and Hiro had crawled out of bed (late, late into the night), to come stand beside the bed and simply stare and stare until he could come up with some way to convince himself this wasn't a dream and letting Tadashi out of his sight wasn't going to mean he might actually still be dead. Watching the slight rise and fall of the comforter seemed to help, but Hiro still felt twitchy and unable to close his eyes.

The lump under the covers shifted, feeling eyes on him, and Tadashi peered blurry-eyed up at him. "You okay, kiddo?"

No, he wanted to say around the lump in his throat. No, because yesterday you were _dead_ and today you're _not_ , and none of this feels _real_.

Something must have come through in his expression, because Tadashi moved over under the covers and held up the end on the now empty side of the bed.

Hiro didn't have to be told twice, body moving before he could feel anything as insignificant as embarrassment.

They shifted around, the bed no where near big enough for two people, before settling back-to-back. It would get a little too hot as the night went on, but for now, the heat of his brother's (living) body warmed Hiro's, slowly sleeping in and finding every cold place that had formed over the past two years.

Hiro hadn't realized how tense he'd been, until it was gone (not for good, too soon, but even for a _second_ ).

It was any wonder Callaghan had looked so much less haunted (because this felt so _good_ ; felt like breathing for the first time) and Hiro couldn't quite hate himself for even thinking about forgiveness (because he _understood_ ).

Everything he'd been through, every trial and failure to get to this moment, had been worth it.

"Stop thinking. Not going anywhere." Tadashi's voice was groggy and barely more than a sleepy murmur. "Too early to be up."

Hiro smiled and didn't care that there were pricks of tears in his eyes (because he'd long since lost the will to care where and when he cried). "Night, Tadashi."

There was no response, Tadashi already having slipped back into sleep. For the first time, in a very long time, Hiro welcomed sleep with open arms and joined him.

\---

Wasabi's estimation on how long it would take to restore Baymax was off by one day.

Hiro really did take all the blame for that, since it was his fault. As it turned out, it was impossible to do something behind someone's back when you had a hard time letting that someone out of your sight for longer than the time it took to go to the bathroom (and even that felt a bit like a challenge). Hiro would start to get twitchy every time it even so much as looked like he was going to lose track of his older brother and wouldn't be able to settle down until Tadashi was safely back in sight.

Tadashi bore the attention with grace (and a little confusion), and Hiro wasn't sure he would have exhibited the same level of patience had their roles been reversed.

Around the start of day four, though, the text messages were starting to get a little annoying. GoGo, especially, was using her unique brand of 'woman up' with a dash of compassion to tell him to hurry up and get over to the lab so they could get Baymax back already.

So, before 'one day' could turn into 'two days,' Hiro found himself holding up the same red chip he'd given Baymax in the first time line (the one that had been lost with Baymax's original body). "I've programmed it so that the medical and personality information on the red chip overrides and replaces the information on the green one, leaving behind only the fighting database on the red one." He turned the chip over. "We sure everything is a go?"

Wasabi gave a thumbs up, not looking up from where he was working on bringing his long term physic's project as close to up-to-date as he could get it. "Checked and rechecked twice. Extra day worked out for the best."

Hiro, who wasn't even pretending he was anything other than a teenage boy (before or after the time jump), shot GoGo a triumphant look. She ignored him, which took a little wind out of his sails, but he still felt in the right. "Right! Operation: Restore Baymax, entering the final stage. Who wants to do the honors?"

Fred, who had been looking a little depressed since he discovered his suit didn't exist anymore, perked up. "It would be my pleasure! Time to make the time jump, Baymax." He all but bounced over and tapped on the top of the charging station. "Ow."

A light circled in the center of the station as the personal healthcare companion activated. They all watched, even Wasabi, as he inflated. Once completed, Baymax scanned the room, until he recognized Fred. Stepping out of the station, he came to stand in front of him. "Hello, I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. One a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"

Fred pulled a face. "Still creepy." He turned to Hiro. "All your's, buddy." He made a grand gesture of 'offering' Baymax to Hiro, before sticking his hands into his pockets and retreating several steps.

Baymax tilted his head and 'blinked.' He turned to peer at Hiro, who got the feeling he was getting scanned. "I do not understand. None of you are injured. Is there another service you require?"

Hiro grinned, trying to appear more confident than he really was, and held up the chip. "Nope, just wanted to give you this." He tapped the little white 'badge' on the side of Baymax's chest.

The robot blinked again, and then opened his processor. It accepted the chip, and then withdrew.

The teen stepped back, watching as Baymax turned his attention inward to download and process the information. He peered down at Hiro, a sort of curious air to him. "Do you wish to override old data permanently?"

Hiro nodded, rocking back on his heels in anticipation. He waited, holding his breath, as the robot went still again. He never realized how much Baymax had changed over the last two years until he saw this version _change_. It was nothing huge, just something tiny in the body language (and, man, how did he never notice Baymax had picked up _body language_?), but Hiro could still tell.

"Override successful." Baymax blinked. "Error, my chronometer is damaged. Current date is incorrect." He peered around the room, confused. "This room appears the same as it did two years ago." He looked to Hiro. "Have I missed something?"

Fred laughed, knocking the robot amicably on the shoulder. "Aw, man, it was so cool! You totally missed it." When Baymax turned to look at him, he struck a pose. "Scan us, we're all younger!"

Baymax did as instructed, confusion intensifying. "You are all, indeed, younger. How is this possible?"

Hiro stepped up to Baymax, taking pity on the robot. "We did it, Baymax. We traveled back in time."

"The project was a success?" Baymax peered around the room, as if looking for someone. "Tadashi is alive?"

One by one, all of them nodded. The robot could not smile, but he could put forth an aura of 'happiness.' "Congratulations, Hiro." He hugged the teen, patting him on the head. "I am very proud of you."

Hiro chucked, and hugged him back. "I'm just glad it worked, and we didn't have to lose you in the process. Are there any errors in your programming?" He paused. "Besides the date thing?"

"No, my data is all intact."

The teen held on a little tighter, overjoyed. It seemed that life had decided to _finally_ give him some breathing time. 

Fred, never one to pass up a hug, joined in. "Yes, the big guy is back!" The blond patted the robot's arm. "You were very strange and ...robot-y without your memories."

Baymax peered down at him. "But, I am a robot."

Hiro rolled his eyes, already able to tell this was going to go down hill fast. Honey, thankfully, chose that moment to approach them.

"It's good to have you back, Baymax. We missed you!" Her smile was huge and her fists were up in an excited, half victory cheer.

"I do not remember being 'gone.'" He turned enough to see her. "However, I believe the response is: 'it is good to be back.'"

She near 'squee'd,' before getting in a hug of her own. Baymax lifted the hand that had been patting Hiro's head to pat her's. He seemed content to have them there, all of his charges safe, if a little younger.

\---

"Alright, so the hard part is over with. We successfully traveled back in time _and_ save my brother. Which leaves us with our next problem." Hiro rolled the lab's large, thankfully easy to move, clear glass dry-erase board to a more prominent part of the room. He pulled out a dry erase marker, and wrote the words as he spoke them. "'Our Plan to Save Abigail and Stop Callaghan,' before he attacks Krei and then has to go to jail for twenty years." He added the last part like it as an after thought, debated erasing it, but then left it.

Honey took a seat in front of the board, unconcerned that she was sitting on something potentially hazardous. "I'm glad we're trying to save Callaghan as well. He was a good man once. I hope we can help him be one again."

Hiro's fingers twitched, still struggling with this. He _knew_ this Callaghan was not the one responsible for his brother's death, but he also knew it was not because the professor was somehow morally better than his counterpart. He would still try to kill them and anyone else that got in his way in a heartbeat. The fact he might _potentially_ feel guilty about that later didn't negate that.

Baymax, unbiased and incapable of feeling resentment said, "Grief can take people to dark places. If one does not learn to cope with that grief, they may lash out in anger and do things they would not normally do." He would have never thought to look at Hiro accusingly or as an example of this point, but the teenager still felt his face heating with miserable shame. "This is why it is important to reach out to people who are suffering a great loss."

The youngest Hamada cleared his throat, not willing to rehash his feelings on the topic of whether Callaghan deserved to be saved or not. They had already been down that road. He was not ashamed to admit he was only doing it because it was something Tadashi would do. "Right, so, the first order of business is--."

"Oh! I know this one!" Fred popped up out of no where on the other side of the board, pulling out his own dry erase marker that he must have grabbed while no one was watching. "Rebuild our suits so we can get back to being superheroes!" Hiro raised an eyebrow as the older teen actually wrote that on the board. He was impressed by the fact that not only did Fred write it backwards, so that the rest of the room could read it, but it was perfectly legible as well.

To compliment the feat, Hiro did nothing to add to it and put a bullet mark beside it.

GoGo fairly radiated her lack of being impressed, somehow conveying exactly what she thought of Fred's single minded pursuit of the rebuilding of his suit without saying a word.

Fred seemed to hear it anyway and pointed the marker's end at her through the board, unintentionally putting a period at the end of his sentence with it. "As if you don't want your wheels back."

The popping of her gum sounded remarkably similar to a 'touche.'

"We also have to find him and get the microbots away from him," Wasabi added. He narrowed his eyes at something that was obviously giving him trouble, considering how best to deal with it.

'Find Callaghan and talk sense into him,' went up onto the board next. "I'm sure telling him about Abigail should calm him down." Hiro tapped the non-writing end of the marker to his chin, contemplating. "The time travel story will have to prove as our credentials."

Honey added, "And with Professor Callaghan's help, we will be able to rebuild the portal and get Abigail back." She frowned, worried. "Hiro, I really think we should devise a plan so that someone else can go with you. You barely made it back."

She didn't have to say it. They were all thinking it. They only made it because Baymax sacrificed himself and Hiro still remembered those horrible weeks in between losing him and finding the chip. Hiro had never been so stupidly relieved over a robot's unexpected level of preservation in his life.

It was also why Hiro was so against it. "We don't know what the portal will do. It's unpredictable. The faster we're in and out, the better. The more people that go in, the harder it will be to do that."

Honey didn't look any more happy with the idea than she was the last time. "Just don't make us have to build a time machine to save _you_ , okay?"

Hiro swallowed around the painful idea of them going through what they did with Tadashi, because they didn't make it back out this time. "We'll just have to be better prepared. We remember what to do this time, right Baymax?"

The robot in question did his customary information-giving-finger-up-pose. "I have a perfect recollection of the events and will be able to avoid all dangers we encountered the first time." 

Hiro pointed at Baymax, as if this was all the support he needed on the subject. "Baymax has my back, and he's never let me down before."

Honey was too nice to point out that there was a first time for everything, Callaghan's revenge had taught him that with blinding efficiency.

"Callaghan has already set up shop at the warehouse," Wasabi input. He made a few last touches to his project, before appearing as happy as he could get with it for the moment. "Is your bot doing anything yet?"

Baymax held up the petri-dish that had been entrusted to him. "Hiro's little robot wants to go somewhere." He looked to Hiro. "I recommend talking to Callaghan before he can build more of them."

Hiro and the other's didn't need to be told twice about this. "So." The youngest member of their team put the cap back on his marker, all the relevant points on the board. "I say we make the armor tonight and head out after we test it tomorrow." He pulled a face at the memory of the sheer mass of microbots rising up out of their containers. "Like Baymax said, I don't want to deal with an army again."

The group nodded to themselves, each having their own reasons not to be thrilled with another go at the army of microbots.

Honey, though, still had one other concern. "Hiro, what are you going to tell Tadashi?"

Hiro froze, mind going blank of all save one certainty. "Tadashi is not getting involved." He swallowed, trying to push the panic the thought garnered back into it's little box with mixed success. "Besides, he'd think I was insane if I tried to tell him."

Wasabi and GoGo stopped what they were doing to pay attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Fred frowning at him through the glass.

Like always, she wasn't unsympathetic to his worries, and he would never admit it, but he sometimes hated her for knowing him so well. However, it was not Honey that responded to his worries, but GoGo.

"You should give your brother more credit." She made a circle gesture with a single finger, to indicate the room around them. "Crazy things happen in here."

This was true. They'd built the time machine, right in here, in fact. But that was a level of craziness his brother hadn't been around to see. He still refused to deal with the thought on top of everything else.

GoGo shrugged. "He'll find out sooner or later. You should be prepared for that."

Hiro would later wish he'd listened to her. After all, it wasn't them that constantly underestimated Tadashi's resourcefulness.

\---

One of the problems with traveling back in time, they discovered, was that some of the materials they'd taken for granted in their current suits didn't exist yet. Which meant having to deal with some down grades that didn't altogether make some of them happy.

"Are you sure we can't just make some of it ourselves?" Fred, especially, was not happy with the loss of his more favorite upgrades.

The other's had already considered, and while some of the things could, indeed, be made, some of it was just beyond them.

"The mechanism I used for Fredzilla's improved take off and landing won't be invented for another six month's." Hiro narrowed his eyes at the screen and fiddled with the blue prints. "I never studied how to _make_ the mechanism because I never thought I'd ever have to."

Fred looked despondent, and they might have heard him muttering something about, "But... _that take off_..."

Honey patting him on the shoulder. "It's only six months, Fred. We'll have it back before you know it."

Wasabi, on the other hand, while happy at the thought to have his armor back (he'd grown attached to it, completely without meaning to), didn't appear too happy about _needing_ it. "Why do we need our armor if we're just going to talk?" Humorously, even as he protested, he was still adding little things to his blue print. "He's a reasonable man. Usually."

He added the last part, because, yeah, they remembered just how 'reasonable' Callaghan had been last time.

"I'd rather have it, then not have it, just in case he's not feeling very reasonable." Hiro set the computer to start Baymax's armor, finally settling on how to make it work with what they had. He'd have to synthesize some of the more sophisticated stuff later.

"Fine, but we need a plan." Wasabi pointed at Hiro, something the shorter teen only saw through the reflection in his screen. "I am not going in there blind."

Hiro sulked. It was like he didn't even trust him. "We've been over the plan, twice in fact. I don't want to go over it again."

"Then maybe you'd like to go over it one more time for me, because I'd really love to know what's going on here."

The room broke out into chaos for several seconds, as everyone but Hiro jerked around to face the source of the voice. Baymax, bless his artificial soul, proceeded to perfectly sum up the moment with a, "Oh no."

Hiro couldn't move if he tried. It was like he had just been plunged into an entirely new nightmare, because, no, it couldn't be, _he wasn't supposed to find out_ , and yet...

Behind him, just barely visible in the reflection on the screen, Tadashi Hamada waited expectantly for an explanation they didn't even know where to begin with.

Baymax, thankfully, apparently did. "Hello, Tadashi. It is good to see you are healthy and not dead anymore."

Well, sort of.

In reflection, Tadashi turned to stare at his invention, blinking. "Hey, Baymax, what are you doing here?" His head tilted, and he raised an eyebrow as what Baymax actually said sunk in. "Uh, thanks?" He gave the robot a strange look, understandably confused.

Baymax came closer, as to not have to talk across the room. "Fire safety is very important. If you fear someone is still inside a burning building, you should not reenter the building." It was not within Baymax's programming to look accusing, or even disappointed, but Tadashi still looked sheepish and chastised. "You are not a firefighter, and this can lead to firefighters pulling two bodies out."

Tadashi rubbed at the back of his head and his reflection just barely caught the way his cheeks had reddened in embarrassment. He gave Baymax a thumbs up and a promise of 'no more burning buildings', before turning back to the rest of the room. He cleared his throat to regain his composure and didn't look like he was going to allow any more distractions. "But seriously, what's going on here and why is Baymax here?"

Fred, because of course he'd recover first, had a question of his own. "Dude, how did you find us? We've been making sure you haven't followed us for days."

Hiro knew, even before GoGo said it, and he could have kicked himself.

"Tracker."

Honey snapped her fingers, remembering this as well. "Hiro's got trackers on him! I totally forgot." She paused, as if realizing what this meant in it's entirety.

GoGo, despite the fact she'd forgotten as well, had no problems pointing out the fact they should have remembered this from the beginning. "He's known where we were all along."

Hiro could feel their eyes on his back, and although it wasn't actually possible for it to do so, the tracker he knew was in the hood of his shirt almost felt like it was burning a hole in the back of his neck.

He'd known they were in his younger self's clothing, but it had been _so long_ since it had been an issue, he hadn't even thought to remove them after the time jump. Hiro put his face in his hands and wondered how he could have been so careless with something so important.

There was a sense that someone was standing behind him, and he had a good idea who it was. "Hiro, I think you should tell him." Honey didn't touch him, but he knew she wanted to.

Across the room, Fred echoed, "Yeah, man. Like our lady in yellow said, 'crazy things'!"

"Hiro, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Hiro imagined that if he looked just then, Tadashi would have that worried/hurt look he always got whenever his little brother didn't trust him enough, that would leave Hiro with just the right mix of guilt and shame that he wouldn't be able to stop himself from spilling everything. Growing up, he'd wished he would never see it again.

After the fire, it was just another thing he'd give anything to see one more time.

"I'll do it." 

The words were muffled by his hand and he wasn't sure anyone had heard it, until he felt Honey leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Have faith, Hiro. He'll believe you."

She refused to move until he nodded that he would.

One by one, the other's left, the sounds of shuffling around the room could be heard as they did. Fred called out a "Call us if you need us, little buddy," and Hiro could just imagine the confusion that caused Tadashi, before the sounds carried outside.

All too soon, it was just Hiro and Tadashi. Just like Hiro had fought so hard for.

So, why was he dreading it so much?

Tadashi was understandably concerned, but didn't move closer, not wanting to crowd him. "Talk to me, kiddo. What's going on?"

And suddenly Hiro was _tired_. Tired of holding it together. Tired of trying to pretend nothing was wrong when it still felt that _everything_ was wrong, which wasn't fair, because Tadashi was _right there_ , and yet it did nothing to make Hiro _forget_.

Slowly, Hiro rose out of the chair and crossed the room on autopilot, feeling like the last two years were a weight he no longer knew how to carry. When he reached his brother, his arms moved without any prior thought. His arms reached around to cling to his brother, trying to ground himself in the here and now.

Tadashi didn't hesitate to return the embrace, but there was a shred of something nearing fear in his eyes, because his little brother was _shaking_ and he _didn't know why_. "Hiro?"

Somewhere a tide broke in Hiro, and for the first time in two years, he simply let it. "You died." He clung tighter, burying his face in Tadashi's shirt. "You _died_ and you left us alone." The tears burned his eyes, causing him to blink and blur his vision. "You left me alone."

The body he was clinging to went rigid, most likely from alarm. "I'm right here, Hiro." The hands on his shoulders tightened and gave him as much of a shake as their position allowed. "You stopped me from going into the Exhibition Hall, remember?"

And while that did, indeed help, it didn't make the pain disappear completely. Hiro shook his head, trying to make Tadashi understand even though he knew he wasn't being fair and that his older brother didn't have enough information to do so. "I didn't the first time. We had to travel back in time so I could do it the second time."

Tadashi shifted, and Hiro didn't need to see him to know how lost he probably looked. "'Travel back in time'? I don't understand. You're going to have to explain things, because you're not making any sense, kiddo."

So, Hiro told him. Told him about those first few weeks and the black hole he never would have been able to crawl out of had it not been for Baymax and the others. Told him about finding out Callaghan was alive, "And he didn't even care you'd died for _nothing_." He told him about saving Abigail, and them accidentally becoming superheroes.

Then he told him about going to see Callaghan in prison, and the time travel research. Time travel which _they made possible_.

Tadashi was silent throughout it all, letting Hiro ramble (and rant and sob) the whole story out, never once interrupting. At the end of it, he gently tugged until Hiro let go, allowing him to hold his little brother at arms length. Hiro could feel the tears still coming down his face, but didn't have the energy to wipe them away.

"Was this what you've been hiding from me?"

Hiro nodded, and despite his exhaustion, braced himself for whatever his brother was going to do next.

Tadashi studied him, searching to see if this was somehow a nightmare that had been far too real or if it might be something else. His hands moved from their place on Hiro's shoulders, to rub up and down at his little brother's arms, an unconscious effort to keep him warm and show comfort.

"This is insane." Tadashi pulled a hand away from Hiro, only to run it down his face. "I don't know if I believe if this is all true, I mean, _time travel_."

Hiro felt as if his heart was breaking, and some part of him supposed he shouldn't be surprised. He wouldn't have believed it, either, if their positions were reversed (well, maybe, after meeting Baymax and the others and they'd gone on their wacky adventures together), but he'd still _hoped_ \--

The older Hamada cut the spiral of depression off by leaning forward until their forehead's bumped. "But that doesn't mean I don't believe you believe it. And knowing you, and the others..." he smiled, laughing over whatever he was thinking about. "I wouldn't be surprised if it is true. You're all the smartest people I know, and if anyone can do it, it would be you."

The words took several moments to sink in, and for a moment Hiro wasn't sure he'd heard right. It wasn't the best case scenario, but it was so much better than anything he could have hoped for, it caused a fresh wave of tears. This time, they were of relief.

Tadashi frowned, wiping at Hiro's eyes, even as more tears replaced the ones he wiped away. "You'd really build a time machine, just for me?"

It was the stupidest question Hiro had ever heard, and he could feel the embers of anger kindling underneath the sadness he'd been drowning in. He smacked Tadashi's arm, almost too gobsmacked to articulate words. "What kind of--!? Of course I would--! Do you have any idea how much we--?!"

Tadashi cut him off again, this time by engulfing him in a hug. He held tight as Hiro let everything out; everything he'd been unable to say or do or _feel_ since Tadashi ran into that building and didn't come out.

They stayed that way, until Hiro had nothing left to give and felt that maybe, just maybe, there might things could truly get better.

\---

Once, after several sleepless nights, Hiro wrote up the blue prints for a suit that would fit Tadashi.

In his sleep deprivation, he'd considered it the perfect combination of flexibility and protection, having had the thought that his older brother could wear it, even when he was out riding his motorcycle. It also had a flame retardant coating to put the one on Fred's to shame.

While there was no guarantee that he would have survived the explosion had he been wearing it, it certainly would have helped his odds.

It had sat in the darkest corner of his hard drive, where it had stayed for months, before a period of grief induced destruction resulted in him deleting it along with any number of other things he'd destroyed that day. When the dust cleared, there were much more valuable things that were gone forever and it would have been easy enough to recreate it, but he'd never had the heart to do so.

Now, it sat in his memories like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to get out.

"No, you are _not_ going to go! It's too dangerous."

Tadashi crossed his arms, the raised eyebrow saying everything it needed to about the hypocrisy of that statement. "I've driven into gang infested territory with nothing but my bike and my wits before." He pointed a finger at Hiro. "Each and every time to get _you_ out of there, I might add."

Hiro tried to picture Tadashi going anywhere near Callaghan and the microbots and found the thought too terrible to contemplate. His hands came up, partially, as if to somehow stop horrible thought, and the slightly dazed look in his eyes wasn't an act. "No. This is worse. So much worse." They'd barely survived, and they'd had armor. The odds were more in their favor, as they had more experience and Callaghan would have a fraction of the bots, but the professor was nothing if not resourceful.

"That's not convincing me to sit out of this, Hiro." Tadashi turned to the others, who were sitting on the side lines like a group of spectators watching a tennis match. Earlier, GoGo had even mentioned something about asking Aunt Cass for popcorn or the like. "You said it yourselves, you're just going to talk."

Fred, the traitor, nodded in agreement.

But Hiro wasn't hearing any of it. "Nope, not going to happen." He covered his ears, and started making a 'la la la' sound that sounded an awful lot like Baymax's interpretation of Hiro and Tadashi's fist bump. Not that Tadashi would know that (and Hiro really had to show him that soon, because it was just too good not to).

Hands caught his wrists, pulling them away from his ears. Before he could cover them again, Tadashi caught the sides of his head and - gently - forced him to look him in the eyes.

"Hiro, I can't imagine what you've been through. If I ever lost you..." Tadashi's hands shook, just slightly, and it shut Hiro's protests down more effectively than anything he could have said right then. "We all live, every day, knowing it could be the last one with our loved ones and, as much as we want to, we can't just wrap them up in bubble wrap for their whole lives. Believe me, I've considered it." 

It must have showed that Hiro was suddenly _very seriously considering it_ himself (it wouldn't be that hard to make enough), because Tadashi reached up and ruffled his hair in a very good strategy to distract him. "I'm not made of glass, kiddo. Besides, it's my job to protect you, remember?"

"And it's our job to have your back." Fred threw an arm around Tadashi's shoulders in a show of camaraderie. Behind them, the other's nodded with various levels of enthusiasm.

It was in that moment that Hiro realized he was not going to win this argument, and there really wasn't anything he could do to stop Tadashi's involvement, at this point, short of tying him up and making a break for it. Since, despite how tempting that was, that wasn't likely to actually happen, he knew he'd have to settle for the next best thing.

"Fine, but you're going to need some armor."

This is how, several hours later, Tadashi winds up decked out in the predominantly-black-with-green-accents suit that almost never came into existence while Hiro tries not to think about how much his past self would be so disappointed with him right then.

Still, even if he didn't want to admit it, it looked _sick_.

Tadashi did a few stretches, admiring the give the material gave while also allowing the maximum protection. "How much wind sheer can this thing handle?"

Hiro snorted, as if that were ever an issue. "As much as mine can."

"Built to go with the motorcycle, isn't it?" He stepped over to GoGo's own, temporarily abandoned, bike and tested the grip on the handles. He must have found them above adequate, because he made a pleased noise. "I'd love a pair of gloves like this, just for every day riding. Man, these are great. What are they made of?"

"Synthetic leather with a 4-way breathable-mesh." Hiro could feel the grin tugging at the corners of his lips, his brother's joy infectious. "Absorbs moisture _and_ comes with sonic-welded armor and silicone fingertip print for enhanced grip." 

Tadashi laughed, and his tone was teasing. "All that on just a pair of gloves? I'm almost afraid to ask what you did with the armor."

He shrugged. "I might have gotten carried away with it." Which might have been an understatement.

His older brother shook his head in amusement. "Motorcycle's a bit out of date next to this thing. I should see if I can talk GoGo into helping me build a new one to go with it. In the mean time," he crossed the room to give Baymax - who was already suited up - a light punch to the arm, "Think he can carry two?"

Hiro, Honey, and Fred shared a grin, while Wasabi turned an alarming shade of green. GoGo looked like they were finally starting to talk about something interesting.

Baymax turned to look down at Tadashi, helpfully answering his question, even though it wasn't directed at him. "I can carry up to 2500 lbs with the armor without sustaining structural damage." He gave Tadashi a quick one up, before adding, "Carrying two humans at 325 lbs combined is no trouble."

Tadashi smirked and threw a Hiro a double-raised-eyebrow teasing look. "Made the armor a little heavy, did we?"

Hiro flushed. "I had to do something! I'm tiny again!" He crossed his arms and glared. "Just wait, I'll be taller than you one day."

And as an added benefit, one the of perks of having coming from the future was it wasn't an empty threat.

All it got was a laugh and a "I look forward to it," in return.

GoGo, not necessarily impatiently, but close to it (she was beyond ready to put Callaghan behind them), decided to intervene. "If we wait for you two much longer, we'll miss Callaghan completely."

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Right, right, we're coming."

As they suited or weapon-ed up, Hiro sent out a silent prayer that whatever happened next, Tadashi would be safe.

\---

Murphy's most quoted law, via some tweaking over the years, states: "If anything can go wrong, it will."

Hiro felt this was a perfect description of what happened.

The warehouse was just as Hiro remembered it: quiet, innocuous, and not giving off a single sign there was a very dangerous man inside creating an army of tiny robots he'd stolen from a fourteen year old boy.

Tadashi and Hiro climbed in through the window on the second floor. Once inside, they scouted out the place, but like the first time, if Callaghan was in the building, they didn't see him. This didn't sit well with either of them, and they didn't look happy when they reported back to the others.

"Wherever he's hiding in there, it's a pretty good hiding place." Hiro held up the dish with the microbot, but it merely told him that it was very keen on going through the front door.

Tadashi continued to study the scan of the warehouse he'd made as they went, considering their options. "You didn't see where he hid the first time you were here?" He pulled a face at the words and their implications, not particularly happy that Hiro had gone into such a place with no preparation whatsoever. 

Hiro didn't know why Tadashi was surprised. He was the one that pointed out that Hiro frequented illegal bot fights ran by criminals and needed to be rescued on occasion. "I was a little preoccupied at the time. Running for my life and all. Didn't see him until the end."

A very heavy sigh was the answer to that. "Let's try to be a little more observant this time." 

Hiro ignored him. He reached over Tadashi's shoulder to point at the area they'd found the automated microbot assembly line. "GoGo, Honey, think you two can take out the machine? We might as well inconvenience him while we're here."

Honey gave him a cheery grin that promised explosions in the near future, and held up one of her chem-balls to show she was ready to go. GoGo, in contrast, just gave him a half-lidded look that suggested she'd past 'impatient' an hour ago, and had slide into 'bored' waiting for them to get their act together.

Hiro took that as a yes, and turned to Wasabi. He made an 'after you' gesture at the door. "If you would do the honors?"

Letting Wasabi take out the chain with plasma-laser beams capable of going through several feet of concrete seemed like overkill, but it did make for much less dramatic entrance. And considering they were trying _not_ to make one, that was kind of the point. The chain fell away with little resistance and in they went.

The machine was directly in front of them, the only source of noise in the room as it worked tirelessly away. Just inside the door, Hiro climbed up onto Baymax's back with ease of years of practice. "Do you see any life signs?"

Baymax turned his head from left to right. "Negative. I can not detect anyone. However, there are twelve different places in here that are blocking my scan."

Hiro bit his lip. "Too many too check at once." He nodded to his team. "Alright, Wasabi, Baymax, and I will keep looking for Callaghan, while Honey and GoGo get rid of the machine." He turned to Fred. "Hold the entrance to the alley and make sure Callaghan doesn't sneak up on us." The 'dragon' gave him a salute, before nearly bouncing off back the way they'd come.

Lastly, he turned to Tadashi, and wished they'd spent infinitely more time preparing because _what had he been thinking_? His fingers tightened around Baymax's shoulder armor. His voice, somehow, didn't shake when he spoke. "Can you give us some feedback from the high ground?"

Tadashi wasn't fooled for a moment as to why Hiro was sending him somewhere with less places to be snuck up on. Hiro was thankful he went anyway, giving a salute, before heading for the stairway to the second floor.

Nodding to the other, Hiro said, "Alright, let's go."

Getting to the machine was almost too easy, but then again, it had been the first time as well. From his vantage point, Hiro could see the notably less number of barrels behind it, and while several hundred thousand microbots didn't instill the same kind of mind blowing terror several _billion_ did, it was still a sight to behold. He didn't look forward to dealing with them any more now than he had before.

Baymax's and Tadashi's checks came back a negative and Hiro gave the signal.

Honey pulled out several more of her Chem-balls, planning to utterly coat the machine in them, while GoGo readied a disk to shatter the resultant mass. With no further fanfare, Honey let lose.

A crackle of static over the communicators was all the warning they got, as a mass of microbot rose up out of the barrel under the conveyor belt. The chem-balls exploded on contact, taking out many of the one's they hit, but did little to stop the rest from bursting out of the barrel. 

GoGo likely already knew it was too late to try and hit the machine, but she tried anyway. Like predicted, unfortunately, the disks skid off another wave of microbots brought down to protect the machine.

"He's heading up to the catwalk!"

Hiro's eyes widened in alarm and his head jerked up to where he'd last seen his brother. "Baymax! Cut him off! Everyone else - destroy that machine!"

Baymax could not hesitate, as such they rocketed towards where the microbots were all converging. Hiro was relieved to see that neither the professor nor the microbots were anywhere near his brother (who was halfway across the warehouse, now that he could see him), but he knew from experience how fast that could change.

They were barely landed on the catwalk, when Hiro shouted, "Professor Callaghan, wait! We're not here to fight you!"

"Speak for yourself," GoGo muttered into their ears, frustration with the continued foiling of her desired goal evident in her voice. The younger Hamada was thankful only they could hear it, as it likely would not have helped.

The emotionless mask turned in his direction, the only indication that he had the man's attention. Hiro was acutely aware of the microbots still amassing behind, so he tried to talk fast.

"I know this might sound unbelievable, but you don't have to do this." He indicated the room at large. "Your daughter is still alive!"

For a split second, Hiro thought that Callaghan would listen and that this could end without any more violence.

In the next, it was apparent that it had only made things worse. Callaghan didn't make a sound, but his rage was in every line of his body. Hiro and Baymax barely made it out of the way of a wave of microbots that nearly took out the catwalk where they'd just been standing.

"Well, that went well." Tadashi's voice sounded unsurprised with the outcome, and he was making a beeline for the first available exit off the walkway. The force of Callaghan's attack violently shook the structure, causing Tadashi to stumble into the railing and temporarily delay him. "Got anymore tricks up your sleeves?"

Baymax dodged another attack, nearly colliding with the roof as he did so. Hiro knew they had to get outside, where there were less places to get pinned down, but that would mean abandoning all attempts to destroy the machine.

Which appeared to be a lost cause anyway, as Honey and GoGo were being driven back as Callaghan went on the offensive.

This was beginning to look bad, but Hiro was nothing if not stubborn. He tried again to reason with Callaghan.

"We found her on the other side of the portal!" A mass of microbots managed to grab hold of Baymax's leg, which was quickly cut off by a blast from the rocket on the robot's other foot. "We know she's alive because we're from the future and the only reason we're here is because you gave me your time travel research!"

Callaghan either didn't believe him, despite the evidence, or wasn't listening. He was ruthless in driving them back, and it didn't matter the number of his microbots were severely diminished, it was still enough for him to escape.

By the time they were able to regain their ground and make it back into the warehouse, not only was Callaghan gone, but so was the machine.

Hiro's hands curled into fists. "He'll up his time table because of this."

Tadashi put a hand on his shoulder. Had Hiro looked up, he would have all but seen the gears turning in his older brother's head. "So we keep an eye on Krei, and prepare." There was a tone to his voice that had Hiro blinking up at him. Tadashi flashed him a wide grin in response. "And I know just the thing to give us an edge."

\---

Of all the things Fred brought to the table in their group, his cache of seemingly random information often turned out to be the most valuable. Some of it was decidedly useless (exhibit A: how to make underwear last longer), but other tidbits were the only reason they stayed ahead of the game.

In this case, Fred remembered all of Krei's public appearances between showing up at SFIT's tech expo to the one Callaghan attacked the man at.

Tadashi watched the footage, momentarily distracted from the 'big idea' he was working on. "Why do you know this?"

Fred was proud of himself and not the least bit shy about it. "You never know when the next business man will snap and go super villain." He pointed to the screen in a way that, to those that had lived this already, looked similar to the first time. He even had a remote in his other hand. "And Krei had all the makings for a super villain."

Hiro decided to take pity on his brother. "Original theory was that Krei was Yokai and he stole the microbots because I wouldn't sell them to him." He wasn't certain if it was better or worse that Callaghan had turned out to the man in the Kabuki mask. If nothing else, it certainly would have been simpler.

"And this is the same time you all decided to become superheroes." Tadashi still looked like he had very mixed feelings on that subject, but the fact that he'd taken his suit and would take it again suggested he was at least partially on board with it. He shook his head. "Only you, Hiro, would think to turn a bunch of college students into real live superheroes."

Hiro didn't, exactly, feel defensive or even sorry for what he'd done, but he still felt the need to point out: "It did help that Fred has a huge figurine collection."

Tadashi turned back to his work, an almost teasing air to his body language. "I wondered when Fred would show you the mansion. By the way, isn't Heathcliff the best?"

It took a second to sink in. When it did, Wasabi, Honey, GoGo, Hiro all turned around to give him various looks of surprise. Fred nodded in agreement with the assessment of his butler.

Wasabi managed to recover first. "Wait- What?!" He looked back and forth between the two. "How do _you_ know where he lives?"

If Tadashi had anything other than a completely straight face, his voice didn't give it away. "I like comic books and Fred wanted to show me his collection. It's very interesting. I check out the new ones every couple of weeks."

The baffled foursome all collectively realized that not only had Tadashi been to Fred's mansion, but had been there _repeatedly_. And failed to even remotely hint at it.

"You're a comic book nerd. Why does that not surprise me?" Hiro wondered how on Earth he'd missed that, and then closed his eyes and gave himself a little shake. He'd come back to them later - like when they weren't trying to stop a robotics genius from making the next big mistake of his life. "So, you going to tell us what you're working on over there?"

Tadashi have a 'come hither' wave over his shoulder in his little brother's direction. Hiro came over to peer over his shoulder. The screen had looked an awful lot like: "Is that my neural-cranial transmitter?"

"In a way, it serves the same function." The older Hamada pointed to the screen, where the younger could see the beginnings of some serious, but interesting changes. "But this one won't be just for _controlling_ the microbots." Tadashi turned in his chair, so that he was facing Hiro. "We shouldn't rely on the portal to take out the 'bots. There's no guarantee, with the changes you all are making, when or if Professor Callaghan will bring it into play." 

He brought his little brother's attention back to the computer screen. "Hence this: which will not only allow me to control the microbots, but to neutralize them as well."

Hiro pondered this. It wasn't that he hadn't thought of ever trying to recreate the transmitter or the microbots, it was just that he knew how they could be mistreated, and the world wasn't ready for them.

Honey appeared on the other side Tadashi's chair. "I think it's a great idea to reclaim the microbots." Both siblings turned to look at her, but her eyes were on Hiro. "It was always a shame you lost them."

Hiro looked back and forth between the two of them. He was still torn on the subject, but Tadashi did have a point. They needed a back up plan. "Fine, but if you want to take control of them, this is what you need to do..."

\---

It was impossible, after such a large entrance, to be anything like 'inconspicuous.' They were young, riding high on the thrill of their victory over such seemingly impossible odds and it never occurred to them to want anything else.

This was why their first real failure, inevitable that it was, hurt so much.

They'd bitten off more than they could chew. They changed the rules, thrown down a gauntlet, and there were people with far less morals who were more than happy to rise to the challenge. At first, the young heroes equally rose in response to the danger, and little-by-little, they found themselves grown just a little bit bigger each time.

Before they knew it, 'Big Hero 6' had grown too large, and someone had to die to remind them that they were _children_ playing in an adult's world.

They didn't withdraw from the world of 'crime fighting,' but they certainly limited the kind of emergencies they responded to. They would rise again, older and wiser, when their time came.

In the week after Callaghan's successful disappearance and failed reappearance, the members of Big Hero 6 (or was it 7, now?) found themselves unable to ignore their instincts to protect their city. This time, however, in remembrance of that first painful failure, they would stick to the shadows for as long as they could. There was no need to escalate things or to allow them to escalate, until they were better prepared, they decided.

Petty crime was just as prevalent in the world of yesteryear they had returned to as it would be in the world of that distant tomorrow they would eventually return to. They were just as likely to find themselves stopping a car robber as they were to rescue some unfortunate high rise window cleaner who's rope had given out. 

They viewed it a success when not only had they stopped a bad outcome, but that neither party were entirely certain what had happened nor how it had happened. Incidentally, the car robber was not arrested, but the threat was very effective. The window cleaner was simply thankful to be alive, and didn't care how it happened. Their stories, and others like them, began to flourish throughout the city, but no one had any definitive answers.

Seven such nights later, Hiro waved goodbye to the others, him and Baymax returning back to the garage as they usually did and each of the others heading back to their homes and their beds for a well deserved sleep. He hoped to follow them shortly himself, just as soon as he saw to some minor upgrades he was fairly certain he could pull off despite the fact it might be a little early in the time line for them.

He was almost surprised to see Tadashi in the garage. His brother looked like he hadn't been waiting long and Hiro was curious how he had gotten a feel for their night schedule. The younger brother was fairly certain he didn't have any trackers in his suit, and Tadashi had been pulling all-nighters at the lab trying to make an improved neural-cranial transmitter.

"Hey, Tadashi, what's up?" Hiro placed his helmet on an empty area of his desk, before moving to get Baymax out of his armor. "Having any luck with your project?"

Tadashi watched them going through their after-patrol routine, an almost sad look behind his eyes. "Yes, just wanted to get your opinion before I put on the finishing touches and had it built." He tapped the knuckles of his right hand on the screen beside him, which was open to a news blog. "But first, I wanted to congratulate you and the others on your success this week."

Hiro searched Tadashi's face, not certain if he was being confronted or actually congratulated. They had not told the older Hamada about what they were doing, perhaps due to lingering over-protectiveness, but they hadn't been trying to hide it either. Hiro wasn't surprised, in all honesty, to be having this conversation. He was only surprised it had taken this long for it to happen. 

He supposed he had Tadashi's single minded need to complete a project to thank for the delay.

"We're not doing anything dangerous." He explained, a bit defensive despite the fact that he might not actually be currently being confronted. "We're sticking to small stuff--"

"Hiro! It's fine, really." Tadashi held up his hands in a universal show of 'I mean no harm.' He got up and approached them. Hiro watched him warily, even as Tadashi held out a fist. "Great job saving that window cleaner. His wife and kids are thankful for the save as well."

Hiro stared at the fist, an emotion too strong to be called 'pain' rippling under the surface and startling him as it did so. He kept forgetting there was so much he'd missed about his brother, that when yet another thing happened it always took him off guard.

It must have showed on his face, because Tadashi's expression grew concerned. "Hiro, are you alright?"

Hiro grappled with his control, not wanting to burst into tears if only because he didn't want to deal with the headache he'd have later. He searched desperately for a distraction to buy him time, and realized he already had the perfect one.

"Baymax, why don't you show Tadashi our fist bump?"

Tadashi blinked at the seemingly non-secular response. Before he could say anything, Baymax bumped a fist against his. His eyebrows shot up as it was followed with the robot's never not ridiculous 'bah a la la la.' 

Tadashi laughed as if it were a helpless response. 

"You taught him the fist bump. You built him a suit of armor and taught him to _fist bump_." Hiro's older brother covered his face with one hand and seemed to be having trouble controlling his laughter. Hiro could almost detect a hint of hysteria to it.

Baymax tilted his head to the side. "You seem distressed, Tadashi. Is this a bad thing? Hiro tells me this is something people do when they are excited."

Tadashi waved his free hand in front of Baymax to dismiss the idea, struggling to regain his control. For the first time, Hiro was starting to get the inkling that he and his team mates weren't the only one's struggling with the situation. His brother frequenting the lab lately should have been no excuse for missing it.

When Tadashi regained his composure, he reached out and set a hand down on top of Hiro's head. "I can't get over how much you've grown up, Hiro." That sadness Hiro thought he'd seen was there, plain as day, and Hiro wanted to kick himself for being so unobservant. "For me, it's only been a couple weeks, but for you it's been _years_." 

His hand slid down to Hiro's shoulder as the other hand came up to rest on the other shoulder. "You have made some great friends who will watch your back, no matter what." He side eyed Baymax, a sort of ruffle smile twitching at his lips. "You have a great partner, even if that's not quite what I had in mind when I built him." Hiro smiled, a touch guilty about that. Tadashi squeezed his shoulders, and Hiro wished he hadn't built such efficient armor so he could feel it.

"And most of all, you have already accomplished so many impossible things." Tadashi's smile was so much warmer than Hiro could have ever imagined it, and the tears threatened to come regardless. "I am so proud of you, Hiro." The smile turned a little sad again. "I knew one day you'd grow into your own, I'm only sad I didn't get the chance to _see_ it."

Hiro's damaged hold on his emotions shattered, and he dropped the piece of armor he'd been holding and surged forward to hug Tadashi. He'd been so caught up in how strange it was to be in the past, he'd never considered how strange it must have been for Tadashi to be surrounded by almost strangers wearing the faces of his brother and friends. Even Baymax was changed because of this.

They may have gone back in time and changed Tadashi's fate, but it didn't change the fact that all of them had lost those two years, in one way or another, and nothing could bring them back.

"I still have so much to learn," Hiro babbled into Tadashi's shirt. "I'm really not all that different. Just get to know me again, and you'll see." He tightened his hug, tentatively allowing himself to imagine this new future and what it had in store for them. It wouldn't be the same as it would have been had Tadashi not died, but they had a future now and Hiro wanted it so bad he'd do anything to keep it.

A pair of red-and-white arms wrapped around them, and both turned just enough to look at the partially de-armored wall of Baymax's torso. "Getting to know someone again after a long separation might seem hard at first," Baymax explained. "To bridge the gap, perhaps you should reminisce over things that you both love or find funny. Asking questions are also important, if you are to rebuild the friendship." Those big hands came up to pat them both on the head. "There, there, you will both be alright."

It never failed to pull a smile out of Hiro, no matter how often Baymax did it. Here and now, he couldn't help muttering, "Walking _marshmallow_." He sniffled, recalling the memory for the first time without his memories feeling like they could cut him. "No offense."

Tadashi laughed and Hiro mostly heard/felt it in the way his whole body shook with it. "Huggable, non-threatening look. Which, the armor? Kind of defeats the purpose of."

"I have also brought up such concerns before," Baymax put in as he stepped back and suddenly Hiro remembered exactly who's creation the robot was.

He gave them a look of mock horror at the thought of them 'ganging up' on him. "Nope, can't have him back, sorry. Baymax is mine, now."

Tadashi pulled out of Hiro's arms, and reached up to ruffle Hiro's hair. "Is he now?"

Baymax nodded. "I am programmed to be able to adapt to fit my patient's needs. This is what Hiro needed." It was not originally within the robot's programming to be defiant or defensive on behalf of others, but Baymax's programming had already grown and evolved so much that there was no telling what he was capable of now, besides the total conviction to protect Hiro and his teammates.

Tadashi looked ridiculously proud of his robot. He placed one hand on his little brother's arm and his other on his creation's. "I look forward to getting to know you both, again, but first, I think we should take a look at the program." He searched Hiro's face. "Unless you want to get some sleep." 'Big Brother' mode was oncoming full force about this point. "It is pretty late, and mentally two years older or not, you're still physically fourteen years old. You need all the sleep you can get."

Hiro shook his head profusely. "No, no. I'm good for another few hours. Just let me get the rest of Baymax's armor off." He grinned, a kind of childish excitement at seeing one of his brother's projects he'd never stopped feeling, even at fourteen the original time, rising up. He wiped at any lingering tears and sleepiness in his eyes. "Let's see what you've got."

Tadashi eyed him. "Maybe one more hour, then." He eyed Baymax, a little conspiracy in his tone as he said, "You'll help me make sure he gets to bed if he gets too tired, won't you, Baymax?"

Baymax nodded, and Hiro groaned from where he was removing the last of of the robot's armor.

"I will endeavor to make certain Hiro gets the recommended amount of sleep."

Hiro would have protested this, but Tadashi was already steering him towards the computer he'd been working at. The younger Hamada handed the armor to Baymax to put away almost as an after thought.

They ended up staying awake longer than an hour studying and perfecting the plans, but that was okay, as Baymax was more than capable of carrying/steering them to their beds when the fatigue finally won out.

\---

When the attack finally came, it came not with a bang, but a whisper.

"Krei is missing."

The other five humans looked up from their various tasks, a large variety of emotions crossing their faces at the news.

Honey's was concerned and confused. "But that didn't happen the first time around." She turned to Fred, who looked just as confused as she was. "Did it happen the first time around?"

Fred had his 'I've read this in a comic book before' face on. "He must have changed tactics after hearing we time traveled."

As Callaghan was not a time traveler and shouldn't have known what they were and were not prepared for, it wasn't the kind of thing they had prepared for themselves.

Perhaps the only good thing that came out of this development was that it meant that he believed them enough to change his plans. Unfortunately, it also meant that if he was still willing to go through his revenge even when there was a good chance his daughter was still alive. It was looking more and more like he might be unreachable after all.

Hiro was self aware enough to know that he shouldn't be happy ( _vindicated_ ) with this turn of events or their possible implications, even if it did nothing to stop him from being so.

Tadashi leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't like this. From what you told me, Callaghan attacked Krei's new campus to take away everything Krei cared about." He pointed at Hiro, who had brought them the news of the entrepreneur's disappearance. "If he's doing it sooner, he's got a new agenda. And all of your knowledge from the future could be useless in this."

Hiro wasn't overly worried about Callaghan throwing something they couldn't handle at them, however. "We took him on before and won, and we were far less prepared."

His older brother looked like he had a thing or two to say about being over confident. Knowing Hiro wouldn't listen, he asked instead, "Where did he go missing?"

"Sources say that he didn't make it home last night." Hiro turned on the television, and changed the channel to the ongoing news story. It was currently showing a picture of Callaghan with the location of his partially built campus in the background. "And that his last known location was on site. Several people reported hearing strange noises shortly before his disappearance, though."

Fred joined him at the TV, hand to his chin. "A kidnapping under the cover of night. Classic revenge story behavior." Hiro raised an eyebrow over the fact that it almost looked like Fred was _disappointed_ with this turn of events.

Tadashi also came to stand beside them, Honey right behind him. "We should investigate the site, see if there aren't any clues."

"Won't there be cops around?" Wasabi put in from where he was lounging on the couch and pointedly refusing to get up. "We can't help Krei if we get ourselves arrested for trespassing."

"Then we go at night." Everyone looked at Hiro, who shrugged. "What? We can't use the same tactics to our advantage?"

GoGo near heaved herself up from her largely bored sprawl into a slightly less disinterested slouch, popping a bubblegum bubble at them. "Less security. We know the area better."

Wasabi didn't look convinced, but he also had a sort of resigned look, like he knew he wasn't going to win this one anymore than he did most arguments he thought should have obviously ended in his favor. Still, he tried anyway. "Why don't we get Baymax to scan the city again?"

It was a long shot and one of the first things Hiro had thought to do upon Callaghan's own disappearance. The scans had come up with nothing, as did all searches of Akuma Island. The portal hadn't even been touched, although that might have had more to do with Callaghan not being prepared for it just yet. It didn't mean that Callaghan _wasn't_ on the island, and just hiding somewhere they didn't know about and could read him from, but they couldn't count on it.

Honey gave him a sympathetic smile, and nodded. "It doesn't hurt to try."

And Hiro had to give it to him. It didn't. They were due for a scan anyway. "I'll go get Baymax and take a look. I'll let you know if we find anything."

In hindsight, the fact that Callaghan came up on the scan after successfully managing to kidnap a high profile person should have been a clue. Unfortunately, they missed the signs and interpreted it as something else. That is: a lucky break.

"He's at the docks, but no one matching Krei's reading is coming up." Hiro pondered how quickly he could scout the area and see if he could spot the target.

The frown was audible in Wasabi's voice. "There is definitely something not right about this."

Tadashi's voice came through next, a warning in it. "I agree. Hiro, came back and pick us up. We need to be cautious in case Professor Callaghan has any surprises for us."

Hiro and Baymax complied. Everyone suited up in record time, and had clamored up onto Baymax. With the exception of Wasabi, who knew first hand how high those flights could get and had to be all but dragged, still making excuses and complaints, with them.

For the majority of them, this was just another flight, but for Tadashi, it was the first and it showed. The young man was turning this way and that, slowly trying to take everything in.

There was an mostly hidden smile on GoGo's lips as they watched, and it was perhaps one of the few glimpses any of them ever got to see of how much she'd missed Tadashi. "Killer view."

Tadashi nodded, unable to find words to better suit it. He had no way of knowing she was repeating something she'd said the first time they'd all flown on Baymax together, so he missed the huge, near giddy snickers Honey, Fred, and Hiro shared. This was so much more than they could have possibly have imagined.

Wasabi, his usual acrophobic self, merely contributed a piteous moan from were he was clinging unhappily to Baymax's gauntlet and prayed for the horrible experience to be over.

The joys of rocket powered travel through the air meant significantly shorter travel time, especially when their armor protected them from harsher wind speeds. Tadashi looked particularly sad to have the ride over and it was no question he'd be borrowing Baymax for another go when this was over.

Hiro, who vividly remembered his first ride (both the not so good start and the part that had made it all worth it) and the sheer _freedom_ of it, could wholeheartedly understand.

The sun was setting when they landed, casting long shadows. Night fall was coming and soon it was going to get difficult to see anything in the time between sundown and the street lamps coming on.

Hiro glanced around a container. "Is he still coming up on the scans?"

Baymax's head turned in the direction he'd seen Callaghan before. "He has remained immobile over by the docks and has not moved." His head tilted to the side. "There are still no readings on Allister Krei."

They split up into two teams, deciding to work their way around Callaghan from both sides. As Callaghan came into view, indeed standing stationary on one of the currently unused shipping docks, Tadashi broke their unspoken communication's silence.

"When he attacks with the microbots, try to get as many as possible out in the open. Our best bet to take as many out as we can is the element of surprise."

None of them knew how Callaghan would respond once he realized they could render the microbots useless. Tadashi's little trick would more than likely be devastating for Callaghan, but it was still limited. The professor could still slip through their fingers if they weren't careful, and there would likely be no second chances for Krei if they failed.

All of them gave a whispered affirmative.

"I'll continue to try and talk to him, but we'll play it like last time: go for the mask." Hiro turned to Tadashi, although his line was open to all of them. "Your armor will protect you from serious injury, but I don't recommend allowing him to throw you around if you can avoid it."

Tadashi laughed a little roughly. "This sounds like someone is speaking from experience."

"Nearly getting squashed wasn't fun either," Wasabi put in. They didn't need to see him to tell he knew _exactly_ how this scene could be reenacted with the crates around them.

Fred sounded rather proud as he threw out, "I nearly got my arms torn off."

Hiro was just about to suggest they might want to put the stories on hold until after the confrontation (Tadashi was starting to get that 'I Must Protect Hiro' look in his eye) when GoGo thankfully steered them back on track.

"Do we just... I don't know? Rush him?" GoGo had long since learned team work and patience, when it came down to it, but no one would deny she still preferred the most direct attack possible. "He is just standing there."

"Or you can just come out." Every single one of them froze. "I already know you're here."

Hiro and Tadashi looked at each other, and then nodded in unison. Hiro gave Baymax's arm a light pat and, not bothering to keep his voice down now that they had been heard, said, "You heard the man, let's got talk to the professor."

One by one, the group emerged from their hiding places. Hiro came to the forefront, the other's following into place behind him without any real thought.

"What did you do with Krei, Callaghan?"

Although they couldn't see his eyes, Hiro got the impression that Callaghan was watching him.

"Krei is currently busy and could not attend this meeting." From beneath him, the microbots began to gather, not so much a threat, as a promise. "I'm more concerned with your story about time travel. You said I gave you my research."

Hiro watched the microbots warily. There weren't many of them there, just yet. They must be waiting in the water for the professor to call on them. "In the time I came from, you're serving 20 years for attempted murder and destruction of property."

Callaghan's head tilted to the side. "I destroyed Krei's ridiculous little campus, then." He nodded to himself in what looked like possible confirmation. "I figured if I wanted to carry out my plans, I'd have to change them."

The youngest, human member of the group shook his head, a little frustrated. "But you don't have to, that's the _point_ \--"

But Callaghan cut him off. "Why did I give you my research?"

Hiro grit his teeth, and remembered he made the most progress with Callaghan when the professor knew other's might possibly know what he was going through. So, he reeled in his irritation, looked the man straight in the eyes (so to speak), and said, "Because the first time around, Tadashi ran into the building to save you. He died in the explosion."

Out of the corner of his eye, Honey shifted a little closer to him. The hand that came to rest on his shoulder, though, was black-and-green.

The former-SFIT professor was silent for a long moment, seeming to process this. The briefest sign of regret passed through his body language, only visible in the temporary dipping of his shoulders. "I see."

Hiro saw the opening, and hoped it was a good sign. "You made this possible, all of this." He took a step forward and made a general gesture at the area around them. "You don't need Krei, we can save Abigail - together."

Silence, and Hiro hated the fact that they couldn't see Callaghan's face. The mask did so much more than hide his identity.

Granted, the rising of the microbots was a bit of a give away.

"Oh, come on! Seriously?" Hiro had to crane his neck to see the top of the swarm. He tried to take a step back to rejoin the others, only to realize he couldn't move.

His head jerked down to his feet, which were ankle deep in microbots.

Well, that wasn't good. When had that happened? He hadn't even felt them!

Several things happened almost simultaneously after that. First, Hiro's feet were abruptly pulled out from under him, dragging him _towards_ Callaghan. Second, the swarm came crashing down towards the remaining six. Third, and finally, Tadashi raised his hand up to the oncoming swarm.

Even from his position on the ground, it was still an impressive sight. There was no actual, visual sign of the neutralizing effect, other than a sort of wave passing through the microbots. Inertia carried the bots onward, but instead of them being a wall, they came down like a black rain that harmlessly washed over them.

Hiro cheered, despite the fact that his feet were still entangled with very active microbots which were very much intent on dragging him towards Callaghan.

The professor's composure almost cracked, obviously startled. There was something like pride in his voice when he said, "I always knew you had promise, Tadashi." He didn't sound remorseful, per se, more so that he was preparing himself to destroy a promising future. "I really did hope none of you would get involved with this."

Hiro dug his fingers into the ground in a futile attempt to stop the inevitable, and glared. "Then you should have listened when we tried to talk to you the first time!" The microbots around his ankles crawled up his legs, and he would never get used to their crawling feeling. Felt too much like a bunch of spiders on his skin.

Tadashi and the others stepped out of the pile of microbots, and both parties assessed the range of the older Hamada's new trick. Enough to render a frontal assault useless, but not enough to reach Callaghan before Callaghan could step off the pier.

"Professor Callaghan, you're so much better than this." Tadashi kept his eyes on the mask, but it was obvious to everyone that he was worried for Hiro. "Let us help you, like you've helped so many other people."

Callaghan sounded regretful. "I'm sorry, Tadashi, but I can't take the chance."

Microbots suddenly came at them from all sides, and the sheer number of them rendered Tadashi's new ability almost useless as he could only stop them if he could concentrate on them. It became apparent very fast that this was not going to end quickly or easily.

Tadashi retreated back to Baymax, neutralizing another small swarm as he did so. "Guys, we need to get the mask - now."

Hiro would have been perfectly positioned to take the mask, the fourteen year old thought somewhat ironically, had he not been completely restrained. He struggled uselessly against the microbot's hold on him. "What are you doing?"

Callaghan did not take his eyes off the fight as he took a step back. Hiro noticed with alarm that he was going to jump.

"Guys! He's going to run!"

Everyone swerved around. Hiro could see almost immediately that it was the absolutely wrong thing to do, because Callaghan shamelessly took advantage of the distraction to slam a wave of bots into Baymax and Tadashi, sending both flying back towards the containers.

Baymax survived the impact rather well, mostly just costing him reaction time.

Tadashi, on the other hand, crumpled to the ground and didn't move.

Hiro felt blood run cold, his world narrowed to a single point. "Tadashi?!" No, he thought, suddenly back in that grave yard with a tombstone and an empty place in his heart. This can't be happening again. It just couldn't.

The others were having a similar reaction, all rushing to Tadashi's side. Baymax recovered quickly himself, and had apparently scanned the young man from afar, because he was saying, "Tadashi is alive. He is merely stunned. I suggest giving him some air," before he even got to them.

With the group properly distracted, Callaghan decided to make his retreat.

His brother's twitching fingers as he regained his senses were the last thing Hiro saw before the microbots engulfed him in darkness.

\---

Hiro was uncertain if it was a sort of apathy he'd fallen into after far too long of being emotionally high strung, but he wasn't surprised when sight returned and he found himself in the main testing area on Akuma Island.

He'd had a feeling he would be returning here to face Callaghan before this was over. He just hadn't thought it would be without the others.

He blinked as the emergency lights, dim as they were, temporarily blinded him and raised a hand to shield them. It was only after his sight returned that he realized what he'd done, and that it meant he was no longer restrained. A quick glance at the floor and the circle of microbots at his feet told him that could quickly change.

His apathy only lasted as long as it took to remember Tadashi in a crumpled heap, and his anger crashed over him like a wave. "You didn't have to attack Tadashi!" Taking out Baymax - even just for a short period of time - made sense, but Tadashi was no threat the moment they were far enough away.

Callaghan's voice came from near the portal. "It's likely your friends and brother will follow us. I needed to buy us some time."

"We only wanted to help you!" Hiro glared, pointing at the activating portal. "I helped you the first time around, and Tadashi was _dead_."

From up in the observation deck, microbots appeared, carrying a distressed, disheveled, but other wise unharmed Krei down towards them. He said Hiro's name, alarmed to see him.

Callaghan directed the microbots carrying Krei closer, their captive decidedly unhappy with this. "I couldn't take the chance you were lying."

Hiro didn't bother fighting when the microbots rose up to lift him off the ground. His hands, resting loosely atop the mass, curled into fists. "I'm not like you."

"And that is why you are here."

If Callaghan meant that as 'in the past' or 'as my prisoner,' Hiro was uncertain. It didn't seem to matter either way.

"Hiro, I will give you one chance to save yourself and Mr. Krei, here." Callaghan raised the mask up, and the look of contempt he gave his former partner said he wasn't sure it was worth the effort. "Guide me to my daughter and if she really is alive, I free you both. If she's dead..."

Hiro didn't need him to finish and apparently neither did Krei, from the sound of horror he made. He finished the threat anyway, "We get to float around another dimension for the rest of our lives."

"I knew you were a smart boy." Callaghan turned to the portal. "After you, Hiro."

Hiro already knew what happened next, and had no fear of passing through the portal. He just hoped he didn't float too far in case the microbots failed to remain together once he passed through the portal before Callaghan (and the neural-cranial transmitter that controlled them) followed through as well.

Inches from the portal, close enough to _feel_ the incredibly powerful pull, the microbots froze.

And apparently, from the "What the--" Callaghan was saying behind him, it wasn't just these microbots.

Hiro laughed, perhaps a little deliriously. "It took you long enough!" He twisted around as much as he could, the action made easier as he was pulled away from the portal, seeking out the person he knew had to be there for this to happen.

Sure enough, Tadashi gave him a salute from where he were perched on Baymax. The others, with the exception of Wasabi (who looked like he'd fall to his death if he so much as _breathed_ wrong), also gave him some sort of wave in greeting. The older Hamada focused on his former professor, silently directing the microbots to set Hiro and Krei safely away from the portal while they successfully took Callaghan prisoner.

The moment they were close enough, they leapt to the floor, some a little less gracefully (but no less gratefully) than the others. Hiro wasted no time eliminating the distance between himself and his older brother, and shamelessly threw himself at him. Tadashi caught him with a laugh and a groan, to which Hiro responded to by letting go of him like he was was on fire.

"Are you okay?" Hiro turned wide eyes on Baymax. "Why didn't you take him to the hospital?! What if he has a concussion or something?"

Baymax held up a finger, and the fourteen-again-year-old was sure there would be a picture to go with this if the robot wasn't wearing the armor. "Tadashi had the breath knocked out of him, and will suffer mild bruising of the back and shoulders. He will also have a mild bump on the back of the head." He looked down at Hiro, his tone reassuring. "He does not have a concussion or other medical needs that require a trip to the hospital."

Hiro felt his knees wobble and wanted nothing more than to slid to the floor and just... remain there for a bit.

While this was going on, Honey had leisurely walked over to Professor Callaghan and relieved him of his mask. Her face was devoid of its usual warmth and only held pity for the man.

Callaghan's surprise, now unveiled with the taking of his mask, was plain for all of them to see. "I'm deeply fascinated by how you gained control of the microbots beyond your range." His face twisted into a contemplative expression; ever the robotics scientist. "Unless that was just a feint."

Tadashi hugged his little brother, who froze out of fear of doing anything to hurt him. His older brother rolled his eyes and ruffled his hair for his concern. "Stealing control of the microbots was always the goal, but it would be pointless if you could just steal that control back." Tadashi gave Hiro a shake to let him know he would be fine, so stop worrying, before turning to Callaghan. "So we set up the flashy neutralizing show to distract from the fact that a program was spreading through the microbots like a virus and reprogramming them."

A single microbot rose out of Tadashi's pocket, and Hiro assumed it was the one they'd had since the beginning. "End result being that we control the microbots exclusively and your transmitter is useless now." He caught 'bot when it rose high enough, smile falling off his face to be replaced with something serious and a little dark. He clearly wasn't pleased with the fact that Callaghan had _kidnapped his little brother_ , among other things. "I was hoping not to have to use it, but you gave us no choice."

Callaghan, however, seemingly having already moved on from his shock and interest, only had eyes for the portal. "My daughter..." He looked like he wanted so badly to _hope_ but didn't quite dare.

Hiro, refusing to be moved by the display out of lingering anger, climbed onto Baymax's back. "Like I said from the beginning, all we have to do is save her."

Tadashi looked up at him, still worried about this. He knew they'd said Hiro had done this once before, but at the same time...

Hiro locked his feet and hands in place, Baymax automatically releasing his wings in response. He shot Tadashi a grin. "Don't worry, we got this. Should be a piece of cake without any of the debris." He flattened himself. "Let's go, Baymax. We need to rescue Abigail again."

"Time travel seems very counter-productive, sometimes."

Hiro laughed, the sound swallowed by the noise of their taking off. "That it does, buddy! That it does."

The rescue seemed almost anti-climatic after everything that had happened leading up to it. There was almost no debris, only a fraction of the degree there had been the first time, and it was a clear shot to get to their prize and to bring her out.

Not to mention, the landing coming _out_ of the portal was significantly smoother and less traumatizing as they didn't lose Baymax and the robot was capable of landing them somewhat without trouble.

Tadashi appeared beside the pod, watching Hiro. "Baymax, everyone okay?"

Baymax tilted his head to the side. "I have scanned everyone present. No one has any serious injuries, including Abigail."

Assured that Hiro was fine, Tadashi wiped a hand across the face of the pod. The woman inside didn't stir, but her breath fogged the air inside. She was alive, just like Hiro and the others said she would be. 

Having gotten what he wanted, all of the fight drained out of Callaghan and he didn't try to protest when they went to move him.

Really, all that was left was to get their party back to the mainland, call the cops and the paramedics, send the Callaghans off with the cops and the paramedics, and let Krei's testimony do the rest. Professor Callaghan would likely just get off with kidnapping this time around, which might result in him getting a reduced sentence, but he would still be doing jail time and that was all Krei cared about.

"I don't get it. All the evidence said we were telling the truth." Hiro shook his head, baffled over why it had to end this way. "Why wouldn't he let us help him?"

Tadashi placed a hand on his shoulder, the others moving in close as well. "People can be stubborn and sometimes they lose the ability to trust in others."

Hiro winced, feeling that hit a little too close to home to comfort. Tadashi must have felt the movement, as he frowned down at him.

The younger Hamada shook his head. "Nothing, I just think I can understand what that's like, is all." When his older brother gave him a suspicious look, Hiro covered it up by pointing at the others. "Don't worry, unlike Callaghan, I had some great friends to talk some sense into me."

Honey giggled, hugging him like she'd been wanting to do so since they'd found him. "We're always here when you need us, Hiro, even when you don't think you do."

A knock to the back of the head told him GoGo was giving him her agreement.

Fred grinned at the group of them, and tried valiantly to get them all in a bear hug. He didn't quite succeed. Which didn't deter him, and only resulted in him turning to other sources.

"Baymax, give me an arm or two."

Wasabi, GoGo, and Hiro all protested as they were pulled into a half hug that likely would have been more successful had Baymax not been wearing the armor. Something he felt the need to point out. "This armor does not allow me to maximize my huggable nature."

Not taking the grievance seriously in the slightest, Hiro merely patted his arm and ignored the complaint. "I say we call it a night," he suggested. "I don't know about you, but I am beat!"

The other's agreed. Tadashi sent the microbots into the bay, saying he would come back for them when it wasn't conspicuous to do so. There were quite a few barrels at the lab they could store them in after that.

Baymax made short work of dropping everyone off, until it was just Hiro and Tadashi.

Hiro leaned into his brother as much as he could without dislodging either of them. "Don't ever do that again. Ever. I've already lost you once, I can't do it again."

Tadashi wrapped an arm around his little brother, head coming down to rest atop Hiro's. "Only if you promise not to get kidnapped again." He hugged Hiro tighter to him, a slight tremble running through his body. "When I came around and you weren't there..." Tadashi fell silent, apparently still struggling with the words and the still fresh horror that came with them. "I thought for a moment he might have killed you."

Hiro released the lock on one of his hands to allow him to wrap it around Tadashi's arm. "I guess we're both going to have to get used to this, won't we?"

"The crime fighting thing and each other being in danger?" Tadashi scoffed. "Never." He gave Hiro another squeeze. "We just have to work harder at watching each other's back, since there's no way I'm letting you guys do this crime fighting thing without me."

Baymax, who had been listening to them, spoke up. "Does this mean Tadashi will be joining Big Hero 6?" He paused to consider this. "And will we be changing our name to 'Big Hero 7'?"

Hiro laughed, before grinning up at Tadashi. "I don't think he'd let us have it any other way." His older brother responded by threatening to give a nuggy the moment he could get the helmet out of the way or something, what did he mean making it sound like Tadashi was a dictator? Hiro just laughed and squirmed, and might have fallen off of Baymax were it not for the fact that he was magnetized to the robot's back.

Unconcerned with them falling as long as the lock were in place, Baymax simply said, "Welcome to Big Hero 7, Tadashi."

Tadashi settled down, but didn't release Hiro from the hug. "Thanks, Baymax. Glad to be here."

It wasn't the ending they'd set out for, but as they'd learned before: life doesn't go the way you plan. This time, thought, they'd get to help all of those people and they'd get to do it with Tadashi at their side. And really, they couldn't ask for a better ending.

-end


End file.
